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Scripture
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
*Galatians 3.28 (NKJV)
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A beauty of the earliest Christian communions was the ideal of an equality that contrasted with the inequalities of the cultures in which they lived, including religious ones. That the churches did not fulfill this ideal perfectly cannot diminish the grandness of the experiment, the inspiration of the vision. The vision remains and, now, must find its fulfillment, not as a final destination but an ongoing journey, both inside and outside the religions. Finally, this vision is not religious, anyway, any more than it is adverse to religion. "Christ" still represents a radical vision of a social equality we have yet to realize, and, so, "Christ" remains a voice from the future we have lived only partly. We cannot live this unity, without the crucifixion of that of disunity that closes us from surrender into an all-encompassing embrace of the beauty of our diversified, diversifying Togetherness. This Unity is lived moment-to-moment, encounter-with-encounter, through the open Heart. We do not create Communion, we receive it, the giving and receiving being one rite of embodied Grace.
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The grace of unity in diversity evolved in my office one day, when I served as a religion professor. I was in my final year at the conservative Baptist college, leaving due to my so-called "liberal" beliefs ~ as defined by the ultra-conservatives who were amid a "corporate takeover" of our religious sect.
I had invited two men to my office for the purpose of encouraging goodwill. Larry was a fellow-professor, a fundamentalist, and member of an ultra-conservative pentecostal church. He practiced healing, speaking in tongues, and other charismatic gifts, as well as believing in the inerrancy of the Bible. Larry had strong religious convictions, but he was kind and tolerant toward those differing with him.
Stacy was a fundamentalist ministry student. He was a large, young man with rosy cheeks, black mustache, and blue overalls. He grew up in the Tennessee mountains and spoke with an accent common to his upbringing. Stacy was a trail-of-blood Baptist, believing the only true church is the Baptist one. He was proud to argue Baptists have John the Baptist as their founder. If Jesus and his blood were mentioned, he was excited and showed it by a hearty "Amen!" He claimed the King James Version is the only perfect Word of God. He, too, spoke in unknown tongues.
And, here I was, seen to be "liberal" by many at the school. I questioned much about the Bible, not longer seeing it as perfect or inspired directly from a God-in-heaven. I had been schooled in the biblical criticism that arose out of the rise of rationalism. The greatest influence on my studies had been through copious exposure to German biblical criticism in the mid-20th Century: names like Roth, Von Rad, and Eichardt. To those representing my own childhood faith, such names represented enemies of the "true faith." Even in my Ph.D. studies, I had become seen as the student most willing to go most far in considering positions opposed to those most other students would consider. They would read such academically, I would do more ~ welcome such as potentially true. I had come to embrace, if God is the source of truth, why fear truth, regardless of what form it takes, regardless of popular or unpopular, traditional or nontraditional ~ including, regardless of whether it would lead to my potentially losing my position as professor or my place in the sect.
Still, I was conservative on one matter ~ equality, peace. While others in the sect, including my own department, took sides in the fight between the "fundamentalists" and the "moderates," I decided not to take a side. For me, Jesus had become a sign of reconciliation, of unity, not warring over the Bible. Simply, Christlikeness was about Love, not politics over religious differences.
So, sitting with Larry and Stacy, this was an embodiment of an ideal I had not fully realized, but the Heart confirmed to be true, as well as my understanding of the Gospel of Jesus. One thing that attracted me to Jesus was seeing in him a radical openness to welcome everyone, and a willingness to get in big trouble for doing so.
Also, I shared in common some matters with Stacy and Larry. I still believed in the validity of the Christian message, with all its inherent differences among its adherents. I, like them, love Jesus. And, like them, I had a great respect for the Christian Scripture, which now was exemplified in seeing the Bible more as sacred story, transcending fiction or nonfiction, having seen some of the shortcomings of the more rationalistic treatment of Scripture. What I shared with Larry was a welcome to those who differed with me. What I did not share with Stacy was the more radical, reactive nature of faith. In fact, Stacy, at one time, proudly announced, and in public view, of me, "You're going to hell!" I smiled, with subtle laughter, not offended that anyone wold think such of me, or say such. Again, and possibly not in only a positive, pure way, I was a proud seeker and announcer of truth. My motives were, surely, not all pure, nor always loving in the regard, in fact, at time insensitive to those who had not had the advantages I had of being exposed to a wide-array of ways to approach faith.
Hence, this odd concoction, in this little office. A Baptist "esteemed-liberal," a tongue-speaking Assemblies of God fundamentalist, and a fundamentalist, King James Version-only, tongues-speaking, Baptist-only mountain preacher.
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The paradox of what was happening is best framed by what we did after dialogue. We decided to pray. I led with a soft and quiet prayer. Stacy prayed second and poured out his heart in loud pleading. He could have probably been heard all over the complex. Larry prayed last and was not quiet but not near as loudly animated as Stacy. Our prayers reflected beautifully and faithfully our different personalities. We said goodbye and never met together again, even though I did meet with each one on different occasions.
After our prayer it dawned upon me what a miracle had happened. I will never forget that holy experience. Recalling the prayer together brings warmth and hope to my heart. There in a small office was a microcosm of the cosmic harmony God has willed for Nature.
It seems to me the same unity happens at the celebration of Holy Communion. In the mystical partaking together, the Church symbolizes the oneness of all peoples and other creatures. At the Lord's Table is Grace, all-inclusive Love; here a strange mix of sinners blend together to share redemptive mercy and lively hope.
This meeting at the Christ Table is for a spiritual family, and our togetherness mirrors cosmic salvation. In the meal congregants, as one, image God's unrest with disunity among peoples and persons. God and Church say "No!" to all divisions in the Church and outside it. Eating and drinking together from Creation--bread, new wine--reminds the world unity is a gift of Unifying Grace.
This Unity cannot be legislated, only received in Love. Unity is not a matter of manipulative technology, but Divine Gift. Our Creator waits for our willingness to transcend our differences and live from our One Center.
Continued... |
