They'll Know We are Christians by Our Love

     I have always loved, that song. "We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord…and we pray that all unity may one day be restored," "We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand…and together we'll spread the news that God is in our land," "We will work with each other, we will work side by side…and we'll guard each one's dignity and save each one's pride." 

     What a testament to what it is to truly live our faith: one people, praying for unity, walking together, sharing the Good News, working together! Beautiful words and a wonderful plan to live by. 

     My spiritual journey lately has been taking some very exciting twists and turns. Mostly in my head and in my heart, but a journey, nonetheless. I suppose I've been on this journey my entire life, but lately I'm beginning to see the point of travel and the benefits of lessons learned and lessons still to be learned. I'm learning to embrace a life lived among more questions than answers. I'm becoming more patient with process, for I now understand that this is where we are forced to grow and stretch and become our best selves. Maybe its wisdom that comes with age, or maybe I can attribute it to a life well-lived but I like to think it is this tug on my soul–a string that God constantly pulls, gathering me closer to the presence of my Creator and with others who, like me, are fearfully and wonderfully made in that image. All through this tug, I feel the presence of God giving me comfort within the process. 

     The latest tugs have come from all different directions: working ecumenically with youth ministers in our community, taking part in the Emmaus Walk, the depth of prayer experienced in our sanctuary on a daily basis throughout Lent, Holy Week services planning and preparations, reading a few favorite blogs, conversations with friends and people I hold dear to my heart, worshipping and studying with you week after week…so many things leading me onward…but to what end?

     First, I've held in my thoughts a question posed in a blog called God's Politics by Jim Wallis and friends, of Sojourners fame. The scenario is a dinner at home with a few friends (these are all Evangelical Christians) when one person at the dinner table asks, "Do you think Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Christian?" The blog writer was just as astounded as I was by the question. But, as she fleshes out the conversation it occurs to her that within our world there are two (at least, and likely more, but for the sake of this article we'll focus on two) kinds of Christians. 1–those who see their faith as "personal salvation through Jesus Christ, who died for their sins" and 2–those who see their faith as a call to justice: freedom for the oppressed, food for the hungry, drink for those who thirst, care for the poor–all that "for the least of these" things we find in Matthew 25. 

     Second, I'm feeling tugged because of something I've said for years–since I discovered the church…The CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST) IS THE BEST KEPT SECRET OUT THERE! I read another blog by an evangelical-turned-mainline Christian, Rachel Held Evans, who writes of her (and many others her age) struggles with evangelical churches being "too exclusive, too combative with science, hyper-political, out-of-touch when it comes to sexuality, and an unsafe place in which to wrestle with doubt." I hear this a lot these days!

     I have the incredible fortune to work within a field where I often witness moments when people live their faith, both kinds of faith. People resting fully in the knowledge of the sacrifice of love for humanity's salvation and sharing that news with others AND people working in the world to bring about peace and justice: righting the wrongs, freeing  the oppressed, feeding the hungry, providing comfort for the infirmed, and all the things we are called to do for the least of these.

    I don't know about the rest of you, but I feel a strong tug to join these two types of faiths together and live them as they are one. I feel strongly that if we, as a church body, can (1) integrate these two types of faith and (2) live them in our community and (3)share with the rest of the world that we are such a place there will be no end to bringing about God's Kingdom on Earth!

    I often sign my articles with the word "Shalom." This word is a Hebrew word that is a blessing of peace and completeness. In other words–WHOLENESS. That is my prayer for the church–WHOLENESS–joining together the two Christian faiths.

Shalom,
Tracy