Unity

As before, keep up all the help you can give to Haiti.

We're in the midst of A Week of Prayer for Christian Unity; January 18-25 on the calendar of many mainline denominations. So, do you have your Christian Unity decorations up at your house? Did you get all your Christian Unity presents and cards bought and sent? Probably not. In addition to being placed in the worst possible calendar marketing position (right after the Christmas holiday season!), the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is not high on any one's radar, not even most church folks.

What would it mean for Christians to be unified anyway? Does it mean we all compromise and get along? Does it mean we tolerate each other in the Christian family? Does in mean that everyone should believe one particular way...specifically, the way that I believe?!? Back in the Jurassic Era, when I was in college, a certain song became popular. They lyrics included these lines:
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord.
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord.
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.
Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.

We Baby-Boomers are hilarious. We still think of this song as being contemporary and cutting edge, forgetting that the song (like us) is over half a century old! We still sing it imagining we're wearing beads, patched jeans, and tie-dyed T-shirts, while our children and grandchildren hear this some as something about two years older than the invention of dirt. Still, the lyrics have managed to capture the source of Christian unity. Christian unity is not about us, whether we're carefully guarding the hymns and traditions of the church, or we're gathered around a guitar having one big old "Kum-ba-yah" group hug. As Jesus prayed for his immediate followers shortly before his death, he prayed not only for them, but for all of us whose lives would be changed forever because of Him and those who witnessed to His love and power. "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word...that they may be completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." (from John 17:20-23.)

Our purpose is not to be unified just for the warm feelings of being unified. Our purpose is to be unified for the purpose of making disciples and transforming the world. If you are a Jesus-follower, is this unity reflected in the worship, ministry, and outreach of your congregation? If you are not a Jesus-follower, do you see any place where this kind of unity is reflected among Jesus followers?

I'll see you around the next bend in the river.