Unity with God and one another is how we
were created and although marred by the fall Christ has come to restore this
flourishing life of oneness and one day we will experience this in fullness, for
all eternity. Until then it is necessary to be in loving fellowship with
Christians from other traditions if we truly want see and know the manifold wisdom beauty,
and fullness of God. And we need an exchange of gifts with one
another if we want to be built up into the fullness of Christ. Pope
Francis puts it this way, We need to realize that, to plumb the depths of
the mystery of God, we need one another, we need to encounter one another and
to challenge one another under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who harmonizes
diversities and overcomes conflicts," There were periods in
history when, in the name of the truth of the Gospel, Christians became
divided. Today, on behalf of the truth of the Gospel, we would like to do
everything possible to become reconciled. We cannot pass on Christ’s message
to those around us unless we are together. When Christians are separated
their message becomes inaudible. LET US DARE TO HEAD TOWARDS
VISIBLE UNITY. It is up to us to create places where this unity can
emerge and be made visible. It can start with a simple meal together with Christians outside of our own
tradition and this can lead to serving together and also gathering together to pray and worship.
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The unity of the Christian
church is not based on human unanimity of spirit, but on divine unity of Spirit
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer
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When it comes to the call to Christian unity we
live in the tension of already but not yet fully. It is, in Christ, already a
fact, a given. At the same time it is a command: 'Be one!' The
unity of the Body of Christ, not only lies before us as a goal, but already
exists in God. The Church is divided, but in its depths it is undivided.
In the heart of God it is one. We are called to be one as the Father, the
Son, and the Spirit are one. In Christ we are brought into the unity of
the Trinity, which provides the foundation and model for our unity with our
brothers and sisters. Yet we live in day where the body of Christ is deeply
divided. How bad is it? We have, to some degree, perfected the
schism, we divide from one another over worship styles as well
as because of bruised egos. It would not be too hard to find a church
where you can hear a pastor from the pulpit say something like ‘if you don’t
like this ‘damn’ church then go start your own.’
Being divided is not just unfortunate, it is sin! I heard one leader
say that, “Our divisions are a monstrous act of disobedience.” God’s
heart is broken around our divisions and He invites us enter into this grieving
with Him, to feel this pain deeply, to sit with it and allow it work on us.
This can draw us in humility, to own our sinful attitudes and actions that
deepen existing divisions and even create new ones. God is waiting to
pour out His Spirit and grace so that we can confess and turn from our sins and
experience His forgiveness, cleansing, refreshing and renewed energy to, “Make
the unity of the Body of Christ our passionate concern.” As God’s people increasingly become reconciled and united in Christ
and this grows in visibility, it will also grow in influence. It will foster
the healing of human divisions. And mankind will know that the Father has sent
the Son to be the Savior of the world.
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“Love—and the unity it attests to—is the mark Christ gave Christians to
wear before the world. Only with this mark may the world know that
Christians are indeed Christians and that Jesus was sent by the Father.”
-Francis
Schaeffer
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In Jesus’ last recorder prayer we
hear his deepest cry is for us to be one. "that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in
me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that
you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may
be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to
complete unity"
In the letter
of Paul to the Ephesians he gives a list of exhortations and again we see the
priority of Unity given. Paul also
introduces to us that Christ-like character is necessary if we are to be
faithful in this call to unity. He
finishes with a confession of the essentials of the Christian faith that
appears to be an early creed that provides some limits to unity. We cannot be
in Christian unity with those who cannot affirm the Trinity and the essentials
of triune, Christian faith.
There is one body and one
Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one
faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all
and in all. (Ephesians 4:1-6)
In Ephesians 4:3: Paul calls us to the urgency of
unity “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of
peace.” This phrase can be rendered “take pains to keep the unity!” It calls forth painstaking effort and passion of the whole
person, mind, emotions, and physical strength. Why don’t most Christians
take this exhortation by Paul seriously? Part of the problem is
that most of us do not feel the full weight and evil of our divisions. Brother
François of Taize writes, Between Christians of different denominations we
have already accused one another a great deal of all the evil that we could
have done to one another through violence and contempt. But another evil needs
to rise into our consciousness, a deeper evil, at first sight one that is less
cruel, but in reality more insidious – the evil of division itself.
It can appear that, across the centuries, Christians have become used to being
divided, as if this were something normal.
What would happen if we stopped thinking that
divisions were normal and to be accepted and instead made it our main goal to
work and pray for reconciliation and unity in the body of Christ.
Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople (†1972) had thought that if we brought
together theologians from all the Churches on an island in the Bosporus and
they were told, “you cannot leave until you have achieved unity,” they
would have done it. In saying this, he was not denying all the problems that
exist; he was merely expressing his conviction that the solution to these
problems depends on the urgency we attribute to the requirement of unity. Today is the day to repent of this lack of concern
and effort and declare with humble dependence upon God that things must
change!
Below are practical steps in making every effort
to keep the unity and becoming reconciliation people
1.
Allow
Christ-like character to be formed in us through a life of discipleship. This alone allows a genuine, humble, forgiving
and loving heart to be formed in us that is necessary
2.
Follow
Godly leaders who by their example and anointing can impart truth, open eyes
and doors that were once closed.
3.
Get in
touch with and enter into the pain and grief that our Triune God experiences
over our divisions
4.
Confess and
repent of our own sinful attitudes that have led to wounding and division and
when appropriate confess on behalf of our ‘families’ ‘people’, and ‘Christian
tradition’
5.
Make
friends, pray and serve with others outside of your own church and tradition
and learn to experience an ‘exchange of
gifts.’ This exchange happens when we learn to emphasize the best of the
different traditions, and share what we have received form God, and also
receive the gifts that God has placed in others.
a.
We will
widen our vision of the Church by opening ourselves to the gifts of faith, hope and charity lived by Christians of other
traditions.
b.
We must
move towards others, often empty-handed, listening, and committed to trying to
understand one another.
c.
Person-to-person
encounters are irreplaceable as well as smaller gatherings around prayer and a
meal together
Prayers for the Journey
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Gracious Father, we pray for your
holy catholic (universal) Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all
peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; Where it is in error, direct it; Where
in any thing it is amiss, reform it.Where it is right, strengthen it; Where it
is in want, provide for it; Where it is divided, reunite it; For the sake of
Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior. Amen
-Book of Common
Prayer-page 816
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"Living God, at times we are strangers on earth, disconnected by
the violence, the harsh oppositions. And you breathe upon us the Spirit of
peace like a gentle breeze. Transfigure the deserts of our doubts and so
prepare us to be bearers of reconciliation wherever you place us, until a hope
of peace arises in our world"
-Brother
Roger
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Lord, hear the prayers of your people and bring the hearts of believers
together in your praise and in common sorrow for their sins. Heal all
divisions among Christians that we may rejoice in the perfect unity of your
Church and move together as one to eternal life in your kingdom.
-Liturgy of the hours
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**these thoughts have been shaped by journey with God, but I owe much to my Antioch Network Family, especially George and Hanna Miley. I have also been impacted by the Taize community and their founder Brother Roger and am thankful for my new friendships that are emerging through my involvement with the John 17 movement.
