I Am Because We Are

I Am Because We Are

Yesterday was World Communion Sunday throughout Christendom, and Bec and I attended one of the worship services in person and two others via streaming. It was a truly remarkable day for worship. Today, I attended another one, this time in the Healthcare Center commons where Robin, the RL Chaplain for that area in ministry. I decided to attend because it was an opportunity to worship and also to see Robin, a most gracious woman, lead worship and proclaim the Gospel. I was not disappointed.

She commenced with an illustration that she had picked up while in Africa. There is a word that I was unable to “capture” in Congolese, but it conveys the meaning: “I Am Because We Are.” As I understood it, it implies that our existence, our participation in reality, is contingent upon our membership in a larger group such as the Church, not because we stand alone, but because we stand together. She then drew a stark contrast between our world situation (and implied our worldwide church situation, as well )and that concept, highlighting wars, greed, selfishness, and independence as defining characteristics of our contemporary culture. She made it abundantly clear that we are not currently part of the “I Am Because We Are” culture.  She is correct. However, I am compelled to wonder if we will ever attain that state.

Over the past decade, this nation has been deeply divided. We are not united. When I reflect on the past two presidencies, approximately 50% of the population felt this sense of division during the tenure of the previous president, and 50% of the population continues to experience it today with another. What is particularly intriguing is that both sides employ the same terminology to describe the division engendered by the opposing faction. I have heard the same language used to criticize both the former and present presidents of the United States. Who is “right”? 

Can we ever achieve true unity? In Kentucky, our motto is “United We Stand, Divided We Fall.” We are referred to as the “United” States of America. Can this be achieved? Will it be realized? We may have already crossed the divide and are sliding to the demise of our democracy. The church is the only hope, in fact it has always been the only hope.  Our focus is on God in Christ through the Holy Spirit. But the church is so full of vitriol, anger and divisiveness it might =cease to be the hope.  No wonder Jesus wept over Jerusalem.    

In the healthcare commons, I observed individuals entering the building, some in wheelchairs being assisted by those from the independent living area who transported them to the worship service. The sight was so touching. I was seated in the back row (typically a Methodist position) and noticed an elderly woman in a wheelchair who was unable to lift her arms to receive the bread and wine. She opened her mouth without making a sound, and a kind individual approached her and placed the bread dipped in wine in her mouth. This incident reminded me of my Christian beliefs, which emphasize the importance of unity regardless of our differences when we worship God in Christ as we live in God’s created order. He transcends these distinctions.

I witnessed a tall black man escorting a woman back to her room, the care provided by the young for the elderly and the generosity of the wealthy towards the poor. Additionally, individuals with families and those without came together during this world communion service.

I carried the napkin containing the stain of bread and wine back to our home and still possess it as I write. The stain of ‘blood’ serves as a poignant reminder that the only path to unity is through the blood of Jesus. All who seek Him will be focused on what truly matters, not on political or policy matters, but on sacrificial, generous, and well-intentioned love.

Unity raises numerous questions and challenges, but when our foundation is established in God, our Creator, through Christ and the Holy Spirit, there is light for coming together and doing so without the vitriol, hostility, and acrimony that are prevalent in contemporary society.

Years ago, during a visit to Israel, I was fortunate to be with a group of Christians at the Church of the Ascension. As we explored the premises, we began to hear the voices of a group of Germans singing “When Roll Is Called Up Yonder.” In other sections of the church, other groups of tourists joined in, singing the hymn in Spanish, Italian, and surprisingly, even in Chinese. The melody remained the same, yet it was expressed in distinct languages. As Americans joined in, we sang with great joy, harmonizing with the others. This exemplifies the essence of unity. 

Today, and every day, I pray this prayer written by John Whittier which expresses my thoughts and feelings to You regarding how we should focus on You around the world:

Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways! Reclothe us in our rightful mind; in purer lives Thy service find, in deeper rev'rence, praise.

In simple trust like theirs who heard, beside the Syrian sea, the gracious calling of the Lord, let us, like them, without a word Rise up and follow Thee.

O Sabbath rest by Galilee! O calm of hills above, where Jesus knelt to share with Thee the silence of eternity, interpreted by love! 

Drop Thy still dews of quietness, till all our strivings cease; take from our souls the strain and stress, and let our ordered lives confess the beauty of Thy peace.

Breathe through the heats of our desire Thy coolness and Thy balm; let sense be dumb, let flesh retire; speak through the earthquake, wind and fire, O still small voice of calm! (OGRP, 499)

In Jesus name I pray……..

Dear God,

We are deeply grateful for the divine call to unite as one in Your presence. Today, we express our reverence through the hymn “Lift High the Cross,” turning away from our divisive tendencies and foolish ways and embracing the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

The Cross of Your Son, Christ, symbolizes the ultimate sacrifice of death to self and the profound gift of eternal life. Its beam extends outwards, offering us unwavering love and acceptance. Furthermore, the beam planted firmly in the earth points upward towards the Way that leads us to You. This Way embodies the Truth and the Life.

When we remove ourselves from Your presence, we find no purpose, vision, or unity. Therefore, we humbly request Your forgiveness as Your Church for our failure to maintain unity in Your embrace. We fervently pray that You will bridge the gap between us when nothing else can and liberate us from our own values, ultimately uniting us in living in Your Kingdom, now and forever.

Amen.

Grace and Peace,

Quentin

Sharecropper’s Inheritance

6 X 25

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See references below:

Scriptures indicating the church becoming one include Jesus' high priestly prayer for unity in John 17:11, the description of the early believers as "one" in Acts 2:44–47, and the teaching in Galatians 3:28 that all believers are "one in Christ Jesus". Ephesians 4:4-6 emphasizes the seven "ones" that unite believers: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God. Paul also explains in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 that the church is a single body with many parts, all functioning together as one.