Wednesday, May 8, 2024

“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.” (John 13:35, The Message Bible)

            Out of the mouth of babes or, in this case, a four-year-old. “We’re not Catholic; we’re Canadians.”  

Our grandson, Beckett, found himself in the unfamiliar environs of a Catholic church, this past Saturday. The occasion was for his seven-year-old cousin, Spencer’s first communion. How do you explain the pageantry of a Catholic service to a four-year-old, never mind trying to describe denominationalism and all its shades of differences and variances in practices and beliefs? One might, indeed, feel that one is in a different country when one steps from the familiar territory of one’s own preferred denomination into another.  And just as often, one can feel that there are boundaries, fences and borders that separate us from each other.

Many years ago, an unchurched man asked me why there were so many different denominations. He thought that it would be much better if we were all the same, acting in unity. He might have found some empathy from the apostle Paul. There were no denominations in his day when he wrote, “You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.” (Ephesians 4: 4 -6, TMB)

Paul was big on unity and harmony in the churches. “This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.” (Ephesians 4: 13) But Paul was also known for recognizing the diversity of gifts, talents and abilities in the people of his churches. We are not all the same. He did not have a cookie-cutter idea of what Christians looked like or how they came together to act as a church.

I think I told the man something to the effect that God appreciates variety and diversity, even in his church. People come to faith in a myriad of ways, so that there are also multiple churches or denominations to satisfy those different “tastes.” Look at Creation as an example. As beautiful as cardinals are, I wouldn’t want to live in a world in which all birds were cardinals, or all trees were maples or all animals were rabbits.  God celebrates variety throughout his Creation, so why not his Church?

The problem, of course, happens when one group of Christians think they are better or superior to another group of Christians, Sometimes, that has nothing to do with what denomination we are in but can happen in individual churches, cliques and factions stirring up conflict.  Once, I spoke to a church where those who were in prayer groups and bible studies were disdainful of those who worked in the kitchen and kept the church clean and tidy. The Corinthian church was full of divisions and factions, even as Paul tried to bring them together. “I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.” (1 Corinthians 1:10)

I am a very proud Baptist. But we are far from perfect as a faith expression. I try to be careful not to criticize or judge those who practice their faith in other denominations. When we don’t respect one another, we are a poor witness to the world. When we cannot work together, we discredit the Christion virtue of doing good works or bearing fruit. The banner under which we practice our Christianity is secondary as to how our text encourages us: the world recognizing us as Jesus’ followers by our love of each other. It is that love which binds us together, calls us into unity and sustains the true identity of Jesus’ Church.

“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.” (Colossians 3:14)

Now, how do I explain that to a four-year old?

 Dale