THE WAY TO UNITE IS TO RECOGNIZE
THAT WE ARE ALREADY UNITED

       If that proposition sounds idiotic to you, allow me to tell a story that will explain what I mean. Some years ago when I was in Geneva, Switzerland attending an ecumenical conference, I had occasion in a private conversation with the representative of the Church of England to refer to Thomas Campbell's great ecumenical dictum: "The Church of Christ upon earth is essentially, constitutionally and intentionally one." I noted that the old pioneer in a day when divisions among Christians was rife insisted that the church is already one, that by its very nature it cannot be other than one.

The bishop shot right back without any hesitation, "Campbell was right. It is a contradiction to speak of a divided church. Actually the church cannot be divided."

So I am saying that the way to unity is for us to realize that the Church of Christ upon earth is one already. When Campbell spoke of the essential unity of the church he did not yet have a single congregation of what would eventually be known as the "Church of Christ" or "Christian Church." Yet he spoke of the church as existing and as essentially one, which shows that he did not then believe, as many of our people today suppose he did, that the church had ceased to exist and that it was his mission to "restore" it.

If we discipline ourselves to think in terms of the essential unity of God's church - like Paul did when he asked, Is Christ divided? - it would go far in making us practically one. Since we cannot ostrich-like ignore the factions, divisions, and sects among Christians, we might say that the unity of the church is real but not yet realized. It is like a marriage in trouble. The couple is one, but their oneness is not realized. They do not act as if they are one.

I am persuaded that if we think unity - the church is one! - that we will behave more like united people and thus be blessed by "the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Notice the language, the bond of peace. It is peace that binds us together, and unity is the Spirit's gift to the church. I am more likely to practice peace if I believe in unity. And unity is not ours to achieve but the Spirit's to bestow. The Spirit has already made the church one. I am to accept the gift - and to behave like one who has accepted the gift. If I allow the Holy Spirit to make his home in my heart and bear fruit in my life, I will accept the gift of oneness with all others in whom the Spirit dwells.

I am presently doing an unusual thing in my home town of Denton, Texas, which is to visit every church within the city limits. I am about half through, having visited about 30 churches of all denominations, including Roman Catholic, Mormon, Quaker, Seventh Day Adventist, Episcopal, and Bible churches, as well as the more usual ones, which in Denton means especially the Baptists. I have already called on some seven Baptist churches and that is less than half that are in our city of 60,000 people.

I may eventually report at length on some of my experiences and impressions, but now I refer to these visits in reference to the point of this article, thinking unity. The differences between these churches and my own convictions are of course substantial, especially if we include the Mormons and Roman Catholics (The Mormons, by the way, welcomed me the most graciously!), but in my visits I sought to recognize how much we all have in common, which I find to be far more substantial than our differences. And one fact impressed me strongly: we all gather to worship Jesus Christ and it is he that we all have in common. Generally, we sing the same hymns and pray the same prayers and read the same Scriptures - and we all seem to be about equally involved, which is not all that much! We all share in the fellowship of lukewarmness. Our problems are similar.

As I sat with these different churches, I disciplined myself to think of them as my sisters and brothers, as part of the one, holy, apostolic, catholic church on earth. I do not mean that I believe the Presbyterian Church as such is the Body of Christ, or the Baptist Church or the Church of Christ. These are all denominations and most of us realize that denominations are an aberration from what God intended and ought not to exist. But I do believe that the Body of Christ is present in Denton, Texas, and that it is composed of all who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and who obey him according to their understanding, to quote Alexander Campbell. I presume, both from their profession and their conduct, that there are members of the Body of Christ in all these denominations.

So the Body of Christ is Out there, scattered among a tragically divided Christendom. But the Body of Christ is not divided. And so I say to myself as I visit a church that is wholly new to me, except that I always see a few people that I have known for a long time, having lived here for 25 years: there are those here who love and follow Jesus Christ just as I do; they are my sisters and brothers, and we are one in Christ.

We obviously do not see everything eye-to-eye, but unity is not a matter of doctrinal agreement, but a matter of "speaking the same thing" about Jesus Christ. We may even be more comfortable in our own congregations, but still we are one if together we are in Jesus Christ. We might be agree- ably separated and still be one.

And if we will think this way more, rather than emphasizing our differences, we will begin to be with each other more and do things together. We may not be able to do everything together, not now at least, but surely we can do some things together.

So I urge you to join me in a mid-course correction in our thinking. Think unity! The church is one! Wherever God has a son or daughter you and I have a brother or sister, and we are all united in the only church there is, the community of Jesus Christ. All this in spite of denominations.

And this we can do without compromising any truth we hold. I can enjoy fellowship with a person without endorsing everything he believes. I can attend a Roman Catholic mass or a Presbyterian service and enjoy being with my neighbors and sharing with them without approving of everything such people may believe. Just as I can attend a family reunion and have a barrel of fun without endorsing every fool thing my kinfolk may believe or do.

We are to remember that we are to be followers of Jesus Christ and not a party. A party may demand that we love and have fellowship only with those in the party, whereas Jesus Christ was a friend of despised tax collectors and sinners, including harlots. If Jesus kept such company as that - and enjoyed it! - we should have no problem in associating with those who profess to be his followers. And if they call themselves Christians, talk like Christians, and act like Christians, perhaps they are - even if they are not of us! - the Editor