At present there seems to be a movement, in Western Society at least, of people gathering together in tribes, holding onto positions very strongly to the detriment of their relationships with others and even God. And this is leading us to being a divided community.
- So how do we minister and respond as Christians when division arises?
- How do we care for our Christian communities?
- How do keep focussed on the mission God has given us, of sharing the Gospel and making disciples of all nations?
Ministering and being focussed on God's mission is not easy. It is even more difficult when the community is divided, yet it is our call to be ONE as missionaries and disciples of Jesus.
Listen to God through St Paul challenging the early church in Philippi
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 2:1-5)
Now this sounds great until there is an issue where we differ with someone on. And the church has not always handled being ONE well. Sometimes our solution to being one has been to reduce the number of people who are part of the church to only those who agree on all issues we agree on. Other times we have put stringent and strict rules in place to force people, to at least on the surface to act as one, but often this has resulted in a loving unity of spirit not being present. Other times we have simply ignored the issues that are causing disputes, even though some people are hurting and need care.
Yet God does call us to be a community that
- is diverse (all nations),
- cares for and loves all people (people inside and outside the church)
- keeps focussed on sharing the Good News of Jesus and helps people grow as disciples
And these 3 things combined can at times lead to disunity and division. So the following resources hopefully help us be a community of faithArticles
Living Lutheran - Facing divisive issues in the Beloved Community
Carey Nieuwhof - An open letter to pastos in divisive times
Melbourne Anglicans - On divisive issues we should listen to Paul
Christians for Social action - Divisive Issues as Spiritual Practice
Crossways - In a Divisive World Your Values Reveal Your God
4 things Christians can do in a divisive political time
Christian Unity in a divisive world
Embodying faith in a divisive age
Books
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