The particularity of Jesus' life and message points to the universality of God's love and presence.
*Paul Tillich. Sermon "Jesus: The Way that is Open to Other Ways," Paul Kittner. www.tcpc.org .
The Holy Spirit is the Connecting Presence wherever there is Love in Unity. Therefore, all true, spiritual Unity is Christian, in the core sense of the Life embodied by Jesus Christ and taught his disciples and Apostles. The Holy Spirit, being the universal Presence of Christ, cannot do otherwise than seek to unite all beings, not in politics or belief, but in and by Grace.
*Brian K. Wilcox, OneLife Ministries.
But any attempt to bind others to our positions in matters of conscience, cultural sensibilities, Christian practice, and other "gray" areas of Scripture is death-dealing, not life-giving. This is simply not our business.
*Richard Foster. Life with God: Reading the Bible for Spiritual Transformation.
"By calling ourselves progressive, we mean that we are Christians who know that the way we behave toward one another and toward other people is the fullest expression of what we believe."
*The Center for Progressive Christianity (www.tcpc.org). "About Us: The 8 Points."
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.
*John Wesley
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You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial. Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.
*I Corinthians 10.23-24, NLT
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St. Paul urges the Corinthian church to adhere to a higher aim than lawfulness, or allowability. Divisiveness was rampant, for persons were violating unity through demands of perceived personal rights.
Not everything permitted is "beneficial," says St. Paul. "Not everything lawful is "for the good of others," he says. Personal rights and preferences, even when not wrong in themselves, cannot dominant a group and it enjoy the unity of the Spirit of Christ as One Body.
Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. Try your best to let God's Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace. All of you are part of the same body. There is only one Spirit of God, just as you were given one hope when you were chosen to be God's people.
*Ephesians 4.2-4, CEV
Writes John Owen (1616-1683), in Discourse Concerning Evangelical Love, Church Peace, and Unity, on the spiritual unity to govern in the Church, words as true now as then:
[I]t is generally acknowledged that there is a great decay of love, a great lack of peace and unity, among those who profess the gospel .... And it is no less evident nor less acknowledged that these things are frequently commanded and enjoined unto such persons in the Scripture.
Owen affirms that lack of following principles of unity in Christ is at the root of disunity among many professing Christ. Hence, lack of a theological grounding promotes disunity, for Christian unity is not any unity, as defined by others:
The principal cause of our divisions and schisms is no other than the ignorance or misapprehension that is among Christians of the true nature of that evangelical unity which they ought to follow after, with the ways and means whereby it may be attained and preserved.
Thence, true Christian unity is not a mistake, such does not just happen. This unity must be aimed at and pursued, intentionally and persistently, and according to spiritual principles in Scripture.
Owen points to that unity truly belonging to the Body of Christ, and the foundation of it in the Oneness of all that make up Christ:
That unity which is recommended unto us in the gospel is spiritual; and in that which is purely so lies the foundation of the whole. Hence it is called “The unity of the Spirit,” which is to be kept “in the bond of peace;” because “there is one body, and one Spirit,” whereby that body is animated, Eph. iv. 3, 4. Thus, all true believers become one in the Father and the Son, or perfect in one, John xvii. 21, 22.
Therefore, the unity of the Body of Christ arises from a prior Oneness signified in baptism and vows of membership. The waters and vows are one, as Each One is one Christ. I was not baptized into other waters than that you were baptized in; one member does not hold vows different from that of all others. This prior unity is the foundation of seeking to think and act to do good for all others.
"God," in The Dialogue, says to St. Catherine of Sienna:
I wish also that you would know that every virtue is obtained by means of your neighbor, and also, every defect; the person, therefore, who stands in hatred of Me, does an injury to the neighbor, and to self, who is his or her own chief neighbor, and this injury is both general and particular.
The "general" relates to all other persons. The "particular" pertains to persons close to us. Our choices ripple to affect all persons and those in our fellowship of family, friends, co-workers, ... Such is our union with Each Other in Christ, by the nature of being of the Divine Life. Thereby, we affect ourselves by our choices that affect others. If I, then, choose to better my life, I choose to better the life of another, others, and all. Such are the depths of mystical Oneness in the Triune God.
This Loving entails, as Foster notes, respect of differences. Any attempt to limit the beneficial freedom of another is an act against the whole Communion; such leads to the eventual limitation of your own natural freedom. Yet, again, not everything allowable, or lawful, is "helpful" and "beneficial." Freedom is not doing simply what I want or find beneficial for myself, in my estimation as a separate self.
This points us to a paradox. Often what is beneficial to me is not beneficial to me. When we put ourselves in the context of others, the view of helpful changes.
I share a personal example of the paradox. Once, when serving as Pastor of a conservative church, I was invited to bless a home. The host, a member of the congregation, invited me to have wine or a nonalcoholic drink. I hesitated, considering some might not approve, but accepted wine, asserting my right to enjoy wine in moderation. At my previous congregation, the choice would have worked out okay. At this more conservative church, I never lived down the choice. That choice haunted me until I left. My choice for wine was not in the best interest of others or myself, even though to enjoy wine is a personal right. The church and I would have been okay had I enjoyed some wine in the confines of my home. However, drinking it publicly had not proved beneficial to persons who believed it was wrong. Thus, the choice did not benefit my work there.
See, sometimes we give up what we think is okay, or we simply practice discretion about where to enjoy what is rightful for us. We do this to benefit persons of a different persuasion. We seek to practice non-harming.
You could say, "But how silly to think a Pastor cannot enjoy a good glass of wine." Yet, Love sometimes calls us to surrender a personal right, even when the opinion of other's seems silly, thoughtless, and selfish. Is it any more selfish to have a policy of demanding your rights when so doing harms others needlessly?
I like Foster's reference to "life-giving." Is that not the aim of all Christian virtue: To give self, in thought and act, so as to promote the life of all and, thereby, keep open the doors of Vital Life for oneself in the same act of Selfless Loving?
Now, you could logically inquire: "Does this mean I must give up all my rights always, when anyone disagrees with what I want to do?" What we give up and not for others is a matter of prayerful discernment. We cannot please or act in agreement with everyone. We can, however, within the ambiguity of how to Love, maintain the sincere aim and prayer to bring good to others and, thereby, ourselves. If such is our prayer and aim, our efforts will be blessed, while our mishaps will be forgiven.
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1. Have you discovered that you find God as much, or more, in serving others as in your personal devotions? Explain.
2. Have you found joy in giving up something that you had a right to for the good of someone else? Share one such time.
3. List some things you have a right to but that might not benefit others.
4. Has there been a time you have withheld, in love, correction of another person regarding a religious or moral matter? Share that experience.
5. Explain the following paradox and why it is true: Often what is beneficial to me is not beneficial to me.
6. Can you recall an occasion when you did what was your personal right only to later regret the act, due to its negative impact on others?
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*Quotes from John Owen derive from Christian Classics Ethereal Library; for details on publishing ... see www.ccel.org .
*Quote from The Dialogues is from Fr. Christopher Rengers. The 33 Doctors of the Church. Quote revised for modern readers.
*Charitable contributions would be appreciated to assist Brian in the continuance of his work of ministry. For contributions, contact Brian at barukhattah@embarqmail.com .
*Brian's book of spiritual love poetry, An Ache for Union: Oneness with God through Love, can be ordered through major booksellers, or through the Cokesbury on-line store, at www.cokesbury.com .
*Brian K. Wilcox lives in Punta Gorda, FL, and Clearwater, FL, with his wife, step-son, and two beloved dogs. Brian has an independent writing, workshop, and retreat ministry focused on Christians living as spiritual disciples of Jesus Christ in everyday life. He serves the Christ Community United Methodist Church, Punta Gorda, FL. Brian is vowed at Greenbough House of Prayer, a contemplative Christian community in South Georgia. He lives a vowed, contemplative life and inspires others to experience a more intimate relationship with God-in-Christ. Brian advocates for a spiritually-focused, experiential Christianity and renewal of the focus of the Church on addressing the deeper spiritual needs and longings of persons.
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