Our Unity Preaches

“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one — I in them and you in me — so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:22-23).

The verses here are part of Jesus’ prayer for all believers that they share and understand the unity between God and his Son, a unity that is to be our standard and example. Jesus wants to be in us and work through us in a unity that can work in a godless world and show it evidence that he came to reverse the result of the Fall, that is death, and lead the way into eternal life.

God wants us to impact the world as Christians in a united ministry and be fruitful. It is essential, then, that we should know what we believe and confess it, as we do when we recite the Apostle’s Creed. Our places of worship ought to reflect that we are of one heart and mind and that we believe the scriptures to be the Word of God, which is truth. We ought not to deviate from the truth, nor water down or change the meaning of the scriptures to please ourselves or others.

Our evangelizing should be one of compassionate service and humility. Jesus is our perfect example of such social action. He came to seek and save the lost, to serve, to preach and teach, to feed hungry mouths, to wash dirty feet, to comfort the sad, to heal the sick and restore the dead to life. All these acts of kindness are within the Church’s competence, not bringing the physically dead back to life – as only Jesus can do – but the spiritually dead can find life through him if they hear and believe the Good News.

The Church worldwide must leave its comfort zones, as Jesus did, and speak out boldly against all human evil, violence, cruelty, abuse and all profit making at the loss of people’s dignity. If the Church perseveres to do this, in love and sincerity, then the world has a chance to hear the “sermon” that our unity practices and preaches.