1 Peter 1:23 - 2:3
The church, as the body of Christ, is meant to be unified in our following of Jesus, and indeed this is Jesus' prayer in John 17:21 "...that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you." But this has not been the case. For too long and in too many ways, the church (both universal and local) has divided, split and followed individual preferences, at the expense of the witness that Jesus prays we would be.
Unity in the church though is not uniformity. God loves diversity, and wants us to embrace our own unique identity in him. But unity does call from us a common working toward the one goal.
The good news though, is that in this time of waiting for the second coming of Jesus, there is hope beyond our divisions. Our hope comes from:
1 our common birth into the family of God, not through our own effort or worth, but through the gracious act of God.
2 the bible that we have in common, and the way the Holy Spirit can inspire us to live out the new creation that we are in Jesus Christ.
3 the ability we have, through the Holy Spirit, to put behind us the ways that lead to division and instead grow toward unity.
What does this hope mean for you in your life? How are you able to grow beyond those patterns of behaviour that cause division, and instead, in Christ, embrace our common baptism into the life and death of Jesus Christ?
In his book “I Believe in the Church”, David Watson makes some significant points in Chapter Eighteen on The Unity of the Church, far too much to consider here. I’ll quote just a few words below, hopefully not too far out of context:
ReplyDeleteCan division (in the church) be justified on any basis? If so, on what basis? Should the wheat and the tares not be allowed to grow together until the harvest? Will we not always expect to find good and bad fish in the net?
It’s interesting also to note, that Watson refers to the Church as “Christ’s hospital”. And in that context, it is a unique gathering together of all manner of people with a truck load of “chips on their shoulders”. A vast, restless and bewildered bunch of people of all persuasions, who will happily and unhappily mingle at any one time, (with their diversity) but more to the point, with their “differences” (of opinion) and goodness knows what else.
One disappointing feature is, that the church “appears” to have become uniformly sanitized. A diversion for the well healed and well informed; a gathering of holy rollers and the moral majority; a meeting place for the socially acceptable, for “nice and normal” people, who normally won’t say boo, until they’re provoked, and I’m probably no exception. I suggest that division is ok (and inevitable), because it gives us good reason to work harder; pleased to be wards men and women (if nothing else) in Christ’s hospital.
Unity comes if we share a passion to work toward healing in His hospital. In that context the “real” journey becomes a great leveler. Sitting back and intellectualizing faith, whilst tantalizing and engaging, is ok, if that doesn’t become an end in itself and divert us from the healing process. On the other hand, I think that the church that’s mature enough to handle its divisions (with loving kindness) and doesn’t lose the plot because of any perceived disorder in the church, will be able to respond graciously to the inevitable and unavoidable mix, of the holy and the profane in its congregations.
David Watson goes on to explain that one of the hallmarks of the church, is that we love one another as He has loved us. We even sing it for heaven’s sake. By this shall men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
Regards
Mal L.