Usually in times of adversity humankind rallies together to tackle the issues. Think of our local and national responses to things like overseas humanitarian issues – floods, fire, drought, hunger– and our outpouring of help to assist. Or think of previous disasters like Black Saturday, when firefighters from around Australia and even from overseas came to help and more money was donated than was known what to do with.
While it is good to see people coming together to help in extraordinary circumstances, Paul’s point in today’s reading is that this ought to be true under ordinary circumstances as well, especially in the church. Paul calls for humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. He says, there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
When we act as one body, we act in a way that promotes health and growth according to Paul. He says we grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.
Paul regularly uses the human body as an example of how we work together – in good times as we rejoice together – and in times of suffering. When ONE part of the body hurts, the entire body hurts. The hand cannot say to the eye you don’t belong. How does the old saying go – united we stand, divided we fall? In fact, Jesus once said something similar. A kingdom divided against itself will fall.
As negative this is, maybe there is a message for us as the church to look at how we might sometimes appear to the wider community. Do we always present ourselves as one united body in Christ as we regularly confess? I believe in the one holy Christian and apostolic church. I believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. It’s interesting that Paul links our basis of disunity to what he calls being tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. I’m not sure which doctrine Paul may have been referring to, but I think we all know how easy it is for our churches to be images of division rather than unity because of our disagreement on certain matters of doctrine.
Doctrine is the teachings of our church’s foundation. And doctrine is important as Paul says to Timothy – watch your doctrine closely. But sadly, doctrine often becomes the source of division rather than unity. It is good that we can have different opinions but it’s when those differences cause the body of Christ to become disjointed that we are no longer promoting our body’s growth in building up in love.
Church growth in number and spirit come through oneness. In our Gospel reading today, Jesus refers to himself as The Bread of Life – one of his seven “I AM” statements – I am the Bread of Life. In Holy Communion we acknowledge that oneness that we have together, in that at the Table of the Lord we are all one in unity. No one is greater or lesser.
It is the same in our baptism. We are not baptised into a denomination but into the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Which is why Paul was so saddened when he heard that the Corinthian church had such great division caused by the very doctrine that was to unite them – baptism. Paul appeals to them: I hear that there are quarrels among you. One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Peter”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?
I know that there are people who have left the church over matters of doctrine. That is not the unity that Paul calls for. And sadly, if someone leaves over a disagreement on doctrine then the next church they attend may create that same temptation. What if I go from church A to church B because I disagree with something and then I disagree with something at church B? We can be such a powerful example of unity. A unity that has been given to us by God through Jesus Christ. And Paul doesn’t just ask us, he begs us. He says: I beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
We have the perfect opportunity to shine in our community. To be the place where people feel connected in a world that is disconnected. To be a community that helps and supports one another. Let us be the Bread of Life – the well of living water to a world that is hungry and thirsty for meaning. And we can all have a role to play regardless of where we fit in God’s plan.
Some are called to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, But we are all called for building up the body of Christ, because we all have the one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. And each of us has been given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
In the name of Christ. Amen.
