“There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:28
I’ve seen a pattern in my life of God bringing me great friends with strong, lived-out faith in Him, but they were not Catholic like me.
This was confusing for awhile, and I often put up boundaries. With some friends, we never really had conversations about God, maybe for fear of “not knowing enough”, or not wanting to step on each other’s toes.
But more recently, it’s been the greatest gift to learn from them and realize how much we have in common – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The same Father created us, sustains us, provides for us, and loves us. The same Son came to earth and died on the cross so we would not perish in our sin, but have eternal life. The same Holy Spirit advocates for us, and transforms us more and more into the image of Christ.
We are all members of God’s family.
Part of being friends with those of different Christian denominations has been letting go of the belief that I am right and you are wrong. I’m sure anyone else who’s been in this situation has had to navigate some tricky waters, too, to protect their relationship. But I have found if we are reading the same Bible and seeking and worshiping the same God, I surrender control and allow God to speak truth. I get to embrace a spirit of humility and let go of being right.
Being right can become an idol in itself, and I can become so fixated on it that I can miss the blessing, the encounter with God, or His presence in the person.
I recently heard Bob Schuchts, a retired therapist, author, and founder of the John Paul II Healing Center, explain that the Sacraments recognized in the Catholic church, are actually practiced by most Christian churches in some form and have the same healing factors because they’re all personal encounters with God and based on Scripture. Now the particulars might be different, and I know a lot of people who get fixated on those, but I just wonder, what does God think about this?
What does God think about His children who are seeking after Him with open, surrendered hearts? What should we be wondering when we are each encountering Him in powerful, life changing ways?
Is it about us and our institutions? Or is it all about God?
In Jeremiah 7:26, God is angry with the Israelites, and says, “But my people have not listened to me or even tried to hear. They have been stubborn and sinful – even worse than their ancestors.”
And what does God want us to hear now in 2023? I’d argue the cause for Unity. That doesn’t mean uniformity. But it does mean I can pray with my Christian friends, I can worship God with them, and I can ask them questions and learn who God is to them. We can build one another up in love and in Christ. In Alpha we say that “Love Listens”, and I wonder if this is where we’re at? Listening to God, listening to each other, with purity of intentions and in love?
I don’t have to “be right”, but I can rest on truth as the Holy Spirit has revealed in the scriptures, and I will continue to seek God with everything I have.
Father God, in the name of Jesus Christ, I ask you to break all barriers and walls separating our churches and your children. Fill us all with wisdom and teach us how to come together in unity. May we have a more comprehensive, accurate, and clearer understanding and view of you, God. All praise and glory to you, O Lord, for you are steadfast, faithful, and your love endures forever. Amen.
My Heart, My Home 