13 May 2007

John 17:20-26

“More than UNITY”

Pastor Tony DiCostanzo wrote, “There can be union without unity: tie two cats together by their tails and throw them over a clothesline. There you will have union, but certainly not unity!”

I have to tell you, the image of two cats fighting over a clothesline is not the image I would like to have of the Church of Jesus Christ. I would rather think of the Church of Jesus Christ as a loving, caring community that seeks to serve one another in love. I would like to think that in the Church of Jesus Christ, people care for one another seek to meet the needs of one another focus on what we have in common rather than how we are different. 

Yet, if you have served in a church committee here locally or at a denominational level, you quickly find out we are not always the Christian community we would like to be. Claws come out and we say and do things that are not fitting for a mature Christian. 

Unity: Difficult Goal

I was only 25 years old when I attended the Illinois Mennonite Conference in 1995. That year the delegates were going to vote whether or not to excommunicate two churches that refused to change their views on homosexuality and align themselves closer to what our Confession of Faith in the Mennonite Perspective says. You know, the image of two cats tied together by their tails and thrown over a clothesline could have described the meeting well. At the end of that meeting someone (I can not remember who) wanted to sing a hymn about Christian unity. Needless to say, very few people sang and many left the meeting disgusted. I personally learned a lot about church politics and our “pacifist” Mennonite Church.  At one point the meeting resembled more the parliament of England in a heated debate than the Church of Jesus Christ. 

Yes, unity is difficult. It is difficult to find unity among Christians in general. And, it is difficult to find unity among us, as Mennonites. I suspect that if we survey Houston Mennonite Church attendees, we would find we lack unity in many important theological issues and beliefs. 

Union or Unity

This is why I come to the text for today with some reservations. I know that our denomination, Mennonite Church USA, can be seen as a union of different churches and conferences, but certainly without unity. We can easily find churches, church leaders and individuals on opposite sides of an issue. Biblical interpretation, immigration, women in leadership, homosexuality and racism are some of the issues that separate us. I have personally heard Mennonites say, “how can you be a Mennonite and be a Republican?” And I have heard others say, “how can you be a Democrat and call yourself a Christian?”

Reverend Jerry Falwell just died.  Many in the Mennonite Church are saddened by the news, others are happy to see this Christian man gone. Why? Why do we act this way?  A man a man who loved the Lord and God’s Church is dead and some of us Mennonites are happy?!?! I am not saying Rev. Jerry Falwell’'s theology and political involvement was right. I just fail to see why a follower of Jesus Christ needs to be happy over another Christian’s death. 

A few years ago MCC had a poster that read something like this. “A proposal for world peace, that the Christians of the world stop killing each other.” I wish MCC would reprint those posters. We certainly need them here in America. We might not be literally killing each other, but we are certainly killing each other with our words. Why?...

John wrote, “The glory that you have given me I have given them [Christians], so that they may be one, as we are one that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me

” (vv 22, 23). It is sad, but if we look at our selves, we have to conclude that we are not one. And, because we are not one, those who do not believe in Jesus Christ or God do not believe we Christians know God either.  Our actions do not reflect love and unity. Our actions do not reflect compassion, tolerance and mercy.  Our actions do not reflect Jesus Christ. 

Unity is our call

I have told you I have some reservations about this text. And, I think you know why. This idea of Christian Unity, being “completely one” as Jesus Christ and God the Father is one, seems impossible to obtain. I have a difficult time wanting to be “one,” be in unity, with people who speak evil of me behind my back or with those who mistreat me and think very little of me.  How can I be “one” in unity with people who do not like me or I do not like them? 

I can try to change the text and say “what God is really asking us to do is to find unity only in Jesus Christ and accept the difference we have.” In other words, be in some kind of union, but not necessarily be united as “one.” We Christians can say, “oh yeah we are all in unity, but we just cannot worship together or embrace each other, because we are too different. Our unity is only in that we all call each other Christians. But, nothing else needs to be the same.” However, I would rather not change the text just because it makes me uncomfortable or I feel is unobtainable.  The goal for all believers, all followers of Jesus Christ, is to be one as Jesus Christ and God the Father is one. And, I do not see Jesus Christ saying to God the Father “yes, we can have some kind of union, but not be united. We can agree we are both divine beings, but I just can not fully embrace you.” 

Because of this text, I have decided to do a few things: One, see Christian unity (be one as Jesus Christ and God is one) as the ideal. We might never reach complete unity here on earth, as we will probably not see the fullness of the Kingdom of God here on earth until Jesus’ return. Nonetheless, this reality should not stop us from seeking unity whenever unity is possible.  In other words, rather than water-down the text, seek to fulfill it. 

Two, do whatever I can to seek Christian unity.  To seek Christian unity means to me: A. Not talk about us/them when talking about Christians. In other words, see all Christians as part of the same family rather than make distinctions between them and us, you and me. Stop saying “you Liberals, us Conservatives; you violent Christians, us pacifists.” Regardless of our differences recognize that the Church of Jesus Christ is ONE, and all of us are part of it. The Church of Jesus Christ is not only the Catholic Church, not only the Baptist Church, not only the Mennonite Church. The true Church of Jesus Christ is One, and it is bigger than a single denomination.  We should be able to talk about all Christians as part of a big family. 

B. Make my connection with Jesus Christ the focus of my identity. In other words, try as much as possible to connect my self with Jesus Christ rather than a given nation, ethnic group, political party, denomination or theology. My main identity is in Jesus Christ. I live in a given nation. I align my self better with one political party. I am part of an ethnic group. I belong to a denomination. I have a given theology. However, those things are secondary. I am first and foremost a Christian, and my connection to Jesus Christ is far more important than the other things that define me. 

C. Refuse to participate in conversations that separate Christians. In other words, I do not participate in conversations that demonize or belittle other Christians. I refuse to say “the problem lies with fundamentalist Christians.” Or, it is the “liberal Christians who confused the souls and water-down the Gospel of Jesus Christ that are the problem.” I refuse to say I am (we are) right and they are wrong.  I like and fully embrace Anabaptist theology, but I will not use my theology as a judging stick to determine who is more or less faithful to Jesus Christ. I cannot fully know what is in a man’s heart; therefore, I cannot judge anyone. I cannot say who is a true believer and who is not. I would rather not judge others in the hopes that I will not be judged. 

Concluding Thoughts

You know, we all would like to see the Church of Jesus Christ as a loving, caring, merciful community. We would all like to see greater unity among us here at Houston Mennonite Church, within our denomination and within the great Church. In the midst of Christian decline in the Western world and in the midst of religious pluralism, it is hard for me to see Christians emphasizing their differences rather than their common beliefs. We are entering a new era where Jesus Christ is one of many religious options for our society. It is imperative that we Christians, regardless of our differences choose to be closer to one another, at least in the hopes that those “unchurched” can see in us a loving God, and perhaps embrace Jesus Christ as well. 

Amen.