Readings for today: 2 Chronicles 33:14-34:33, Romans 16:10-27, Psalms 26, Proverbs 20:19
I am often struck as I look out on my congregation on Sunday mornings by the diversity present in the room. Old and young. Rich and poor. Men and women. People coming from different backgrounds and life experiences. People who grew up in church sitting next to those who’ve had no experience with the church. Democrats and Republicans. Highly educated and less educated. White collar and blue collar and no collar. Families from different nations around the globe like India, Malawi, Vietnam, and Costa Rica. We are still predominantly white but have a growing number of black and brown brothers and sisters in our midst. We are abled and disabled. We have LGBTQ friends who join us each week. It’s an amazing mix of people coming to meet Jesus.
The church of Jesus Christ is a miracle. In Christ, every dividing wall of hostility has been torn down. Every identity that separates us one from another set aside. For Paul, it meant laying aside the centuries-old divisions between Jew and Gentile. Circumcision. Food laws. Sabbath keeping. All de-centered in order to make space for Gentile believers who did not know and had not grown up in a covenant community governed by the Mosaic Law. Sexual immorality. Idolatry. Sorcery and witchcraft. These things Gentiles were called to lay aside as they represented the former life they had before Christ. Only Christ is powerful enough to make this happen and the same is true today. We are so very different from one another. Each one of us unique in our own way. Each one of us sees the world a different way. Growing up in a highly individualized and highly commercialized culture like the US shapes our worldview. We don’t know what it means to live in authentic community with each other. And this is why being part of a church is so important.
The church is where we actually get to live out our union with Christ. It tests the depth of our faith on a regular basis. What do we do when someone hurts our feelings? How do we respond when someone lets us down? What happens when we get into a fight with someone because they see the world differently? Will we let the worldly identities we cling to divide us or will we let Christ reign in our hearts and draw us together? This is what Paul is calling for at the end of Romans when he says, “And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them.” (Romans 16:17)
Of course, all of us are sinners. All of us can be the source of division if we are not careful. So how do we make sure to guard our own heart? Two things. First and foremost, seek the mind of Christ in all you say and do. Make sure every word you speak and every action you take is guided by His wisdom revealed in His Word. When you fall short - as you inevitably will - rest on His forgiveness. Be humble. Extend grace to yourself and others. None of us are perfect. Second, constantly search your heart to make sure you are motivated by the love of Christ. Are these words going to build up my sister or brother or tear them down? Am I really seeking their good? Am I seeking to serve them in love or out of selfish ambition? If you are like me, the temptation to manipulate others to my own ends is strong and has to be resisted on a daily basis.
Friends, Jesus can and does hold the center of our life together. He is strong enough to keep us together when everything else in the world threatens to pull us apart. Christ exerts a gravitational pull on our lives that keeps us in orbit no matter how diverse our fellowship may be or how vast the differences between us. Cling to Christ. Seek the mind of Christ. Be motivated by the love of Christ. Live from your union with Christ that He died to secure for all eternity.
Readings for tomorrow: 2 Chronicles 35-36, 1 Corinthians 1:1-17, Psalms 27:1-6, Proverbs 20:20-21