The United Way

I've been mulling over the concept of unity for a while, and then a week or so ago I read a magazine article that made so much sense. Maybe the universe is trying to tell me something...

Jesus prayed for unity. Before he was betrayed, his prayer for the faithful was "...that they all may be one" (Jn 17:21). Unity has become a popular theme in the church today.  So popular in fact, that it adorns the chests of many as a badge of honour. In many respects it has become an idol.

Blessed perspective is found in the recent words of K.P. Yohannan. What makes it even more blessed is that he’s not talking about unity in the context of the current debates that rage right now, he’s merely speaking about two of his missionaries that couldn’t get along with each other. Nevertheless, his words are hauntingly applicable:

But how is this oneness possible? Will it happen if we all think the same thoughts and, as a result, respond to one another with great kindness, love and understanding? And can we achieve these same thoughts by some deeper-level education that eliminates all differences between us and causes us to live above such things?

You already know the answer.

Humanly speaking, it is impossible. Even in a small local fellowship, the believers come from different family backgrounds and upbringings. All have different personalities, behavior patterns, levels of education and spiritual understanding.

However, one key to love, unity and following the Lord is my willingness to take responsibility for my sin. When my heart is tender before God, I will no longer accuse my brother or sister for my failure. [...]

Bring it home, K.P.

There will never be unity – and never will rivers of living water begin to flow through our lives – until we come to a place where we take responsibility for our sin.

Jesus prayed for unity. Oh that we would see how badly we need him. Oh that we would realize that our own sin that lurks within is as vile as that of whoever we see as the vilest offender.

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We are unified by the common trait of sinfulness. Let this never tempt us to celebrate. Instead let us join hands in praise of the one who takes this awful burden away.

...Leslie

Post Script:  K.P. Yohannan is the founder of Gospel for Asia, and author of Revolution in World Missions. His approach to missions is a breath of fresh air and his book is well worth the read. It’s free right now. His quotation was taken from Gospel for Asia’s third quarter 2005 edition of Send! Magazine. As of today, this most recent edition of the magazine or the article "5 Minutes with K.P." hasn’t been archived online yet.

Comments

[Rick]

Leslie,

Reverend Sensing has relevant thoughts on a new blog he's recently started.

Achieving unity is a community endeavor. Unity comes from trust in God. The apostles were of one spirit because they trusted God. They also trusted one another despite their differences. Perhaps they knew the old adage, “If everyone is thinking alike, then no one is thinking.” Or as the CEO of a Fortune five hundred company wrote centuries later, “If three managers agree on everything, then cut your staff by two-thirds.” Unity does not dodge disagreement, it trusts through it because there is a greater purpose in our common faith than agreeing on every detail.

At a fundamental level, we are united in our baptism. Through baptism, we are incorporated by the Holy Spirit into God’s new creation, and made to share on Christ’s royal priesthood. We are all one in Jesus Christ.

[chuckels]

Ah, 'unity', a shadowed goal seems these days. I think we need somthing tangible to be united around or over. For me the simple, tangible point of unity is the Word of God, esp as presented in the New Testament. It would be nice to have a common understanding from Christian circles that the Word is the standard of truth from which we should all form our convictions.

Until we accept a standard of truth that rises above individual opinion I am afraid we will remain quite scattered in our divisions...and the frustrations of seeking people are certain to continue.

God have mercy.

chuckels

[Nicks]

Chuckels wrote:

...For me the simple, tangible point of unity is the Word of God...

And

It would be nice to have a common understanding from Christian circles that the Word is the standard of truth from which we should all form our convictions.

Amen
Nicks

[Leslie]

You people are kindred spirits...including Reverend Sensing. The thing that makes looking squarely at my own sin so worthwhile is that it allows me to realize that I start out from the exact same position as every other soul on the planet.

You would think remembering that common position would drive us to the word of God, which would help us work together in the presence of disagreement.

I don't know. Maybe Jesus prayed publicly about the whole thing because he knew it was a humanly impossible aspiration.

So I join you Chuckels; God have mercy.