George Price*
created a simple and elegant equation to explain altruism as an evolutionary strategy
Basically, life is a game
You can use different strategies
There are different players
As well as alliances and teams
All with similar goals
Live long
Have babies
& try to make sure your genes get passed on
A lot of strategies exist to accomplish those goals
One of them is altruism
Sacrifice for your reproductive partner
Scarifice for your child
Create social networks that support your family & make sacrifices for the group
So the group will protect your child
So the members of the group want to reproduce with you and your children
Altruism is a good strategy that can work very well
The others can work too
But many of them are based on dominance and violence and fear
The Bible is a complex argument about the right way to play this game
The authors of the Bible are players in the game trying to find the best strategy, arguing with each other
Sometimes arguing with themselves
And out of those arguments comes a clear answer
Altruism
The Bible is an argument that Altruism is the best, the correct strategy
Self sacrifice and loving your neighbor are the best way to play the game of life
And the Bible adds something else
Another reason to play the gam without judgment
To play the game with love
The Bible argues that Altrusim is the strategy that pleases God
Altruism is God’s strategy
That God became human and gave his life for us
because self sacrifice is the only strategy a loving God can use
When we choose a strategy based on dominance and violence and fear
A space between humans and God is created
And a space between you and your neighbors
God’s sacrifice in Jesus closes the gap
Bridges the gulf between humanity and God
Bridges the gulf between us all
Faith in Jesus
Faith in his life and death and resurrection
Means accepting the sacrifice
Answering the call to make altruism our strategy
Answering the call to make sacrifices in your life
As individuals
As socities
There’s no expectation that you’ll be perfect
And no one answer God’s call the same way
Your sacrifices will be different from mine
God’s strategy isn’t based on performance
You don’t have to earn God’s love
God’s sacrifice is absolute
But if you accept the strategy
If you accept the sacrifice
The strategy will begin working through you
The call to this strategy has always been here
It’s God’s call screaming from the books of the Bible
And it is now fully revealed in Jesus
Embrace the strategy of Jesus
Bridge the gulf
*The conclusion of George Price’s life is very sad. I recommend reading about it and thinking about why I’m encouraging everyone to think👆this way
Nested Hierarchy 