While on one hand we see nation
against nation, community against community, family against family, man against
man; on the other we see baseless arguments like that of Rajiv Malhotra (in his
book ‘Breaking India’) that Christian work feeds and flourishes on the disunity
within Indian communities. A lack of proper understanding of the Bible on unity
is the reason.
Since there is no provision or possibility
of uniting people without any differences and discrimination within any other
framework and religious system, he attempts to degrade and dismantle the only Faith
that can give equal rights to all people irrespective of their colour,
language, geography. And the last book of the Bible shows us a glimpse of what
it will be like when Christ returns and
in His kingdom, “After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no
one could count, from every nation, from
all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before
the Lamb…” (Revelation 7:9 NRSV).
The world’s pursuit of unity yields not
much results because of its failure in not pursuing the Truth as C.S. Lewis
aptly words it, “Seek Unity and you will find neither Unity nor Truth. Seek the
light of truth, and you will find Unity and Truth”. The oxymoron phrase ‘Unity
in Diversity’ makes sense and the meaningful and possible coexistence of unitas and varietas becomes achievable only when there is the pursuit of veritas (Truth). Devoid of Truth, the
world’s sophomoric attempt at unity meets only with more disunity.
In his article ‘To the Unity of the Faith’ the General Secretary compares the
church, church leaders and ministers of the first century and present times and
shows the dilution of truth in life and in proclamation. This is a clarion call
to stand on the truth without compromising the Word.
The article from the Associate General
Secretary’s Desk, ‘Clarity in Unity’
presents four foundational principles of Unity to help understand that unity is
not uniformity rather a process of maturity.
Unity and Love as abstracts cannot be
understood unless we come to the Personhood of the Trinity. The more we learn and grow in the knowledge
of our Triune God, the more we grow in unity. The Get Equipped article ‘Trinity:
Understanding the Three in One’ is biblically sound and encourages the
reader to grow in unity and to practice godly love that exists within the
Trinity.
Unity in essence needs to be experienced
within a person (aligning oneself with God’s word), with people and in God’s
purpose. The New Gen Thinking article
‘Walls: Build or Break?’ expounds on
these and brings unity lessons from walls of historical significance. The ‘Let
Us Beat Swords into Plowshares’ sculpture in the UN Art Collection and the
inscriptions on the Isaiah Wall across the UN building, “they shall beat their
swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not
lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah
2:4b), is complete, meaningful and possible only when people walk in Truth, in
God’s paths and when God shall judge among the nations (Isaiah 2:3,4a).
The Children’s
Chronicles story ‘Raju’s Projects’
is a definite treat for children which shows how when small children come
together they can make a big difference in someone’s life.
‘Till
Death Do Us Part’ is an excellent article for married
couples and for those preparing for marriage which points out to the importance
of commitment and not compulsion to be the anchor of marriage life.
The Tentmaking
article ‘Dichotomy in Calling: Unifying
Skills & Spiritual Gifts to Serve’ removes the dichotomy of secular and
sacred and helps the reader to understand work as a calling from God and to unify
and use one’s skills, abilities, gifts for God’s glory and for His
purpose.
This year, 2017 marks the 500th
anniversary of the Reformation. “To gather with God's people in united adoration
of the Father is as necessary to the Christian life as prayer” remarked Martin
Luther. This is a stark reminder for the need of unity within the church
community. We are called to build the kingdom of God and not our own kingdoms.
We need yet another reformation, that will
bring unity with the clarity that we are not called to compete with each other
but to complement our graces and gifts; not to fight on fundamental doctrines
and yet not compromise on sound doctrines; not to become self and church-obsessed,
but to be kingdom-minded.
Unifying Reading,
Mariyosh Joseph
Chief
Editor, The CALL