26 In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3.26-28
Today’s text reminds us that Christian unity is not something that we have to create from scratch. It is a given that we have been baptised into one body and that is glorious. However, living out that unity can be quite a challenge. Ofcourse, if the different parts of one body disregard each other or misunderstand each other, that is even more painful than if they weren’t part of the same body in the first place.
How do we live in a way which demonstrates that whatever our differences of tradition or denomination we are one in Christ? Even the wisest leaders have struggled with this – now and throughout history. We have a lot to learn but here are some approaches which we are finding helpful.
- Pray for unity and look to God’s word in scripture as Jesus did (John 17)
- Cherish each person and approach each other with humility (Philippians 2.3-4)
- Show appreciation for each person’s, each community’s, each church’s different contribution to the whole (1 Corinthians 12.12-27)
- Resolve issues directly and lovingly, seeking reconciliation (Matthew 18.15-17)
- Serve together with a Kingdom mindset. When we work side by side in service, our shared experiences strengthen our bonds. As we share the gospel of Christ, we are reminded that this gospel is greater than any denomination or individual expression of church – and are enabled to put aside our own desires for recognition and work together wholeheartedly.
Lord Jesus, who prayed that we might all be one, help us to live as brothers and sisters in your family, cherishing each other and our unique contributions: May your Spirit enable us to attend to the suffering caused by division, to see our sin, repent and serve together with your hope, love and joy. Amen.