2013-06-20
Daniel Daring 2013
articles
2012 articles
12th
Sunday: Equal
and one in Christ
Zechariah 12:10-11; Galatians 3:26-29; Luke 9:18-24
A religion teacher asked her students: “Children. How many sacraments does the Church have?” “Seven for men, but only six for women,” - was the answer. The Pentecostal Movement in the US split over the racial issue. A group of high-cast Christians refused to accept into full communion untouchable Christians. And yet, all of us we read these inspiring words: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). What has happened to us? How could we stray so far from this vision of equality and unity?
According to G.A. Deissmann, the phrase “in Christ” occurs 164 times in Paul's writings - not without reason. J.D. Crossan states that “in is the beating heart of Paul's theology, and everything else flows from it in life and in death.” Accordingly, those who are “in Christ” do not need “ethical norms, legal rules, or communal instructions.” In any circumstances of life, they intuitively discern the cause of action. By clothing themselves with Christ, they have internalized Christ's values and attitudes of which the most important is respect for the dignity of others. The Gospels picture in front of our eyes the image of Jesus who is breaking one barrier after another: he touches the lepers, speaks with a woman, eats with sinners, and makes a Samaritan a hero in one of His parables. All of these help us realize that each person matters in the eyes of God. Moreover, He expected His disciples to do the same. So Peter learned that “God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him” (Acts 10:34-25); Paul realized that he “had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised” (Galatians 2:7); and the small Christian community in Ephesus proclaimed that Christ “has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between” different races and nations (Ephesians 2:14).
And yet, what Christ has torn down, we have succeeded to put back. Today, the dividing wall of hostility separates not just Jews and Gentiles, but also believers in Christ. And the historical wounds are so deep that Jesus' dream of having one flock and one shepherd (John 10:16) remains just a dream. Moreover, the division continues. New Christian Churches are established because a head pastor cannot agree with his assistant pastor or a bishop with other bishops. And all of us know how far we are from the vision of Paul's equality in our own Church. Even more disappointing is the fact that the phrase “in Christ” means very little to us. Rules, norms, and motu proprios are shaping our life of faith. What would Paul have to say about such development?
But there are signs of hope. The call to unity among Christians continues to affect the lives of many. Instead of focusing on what divide us, many Christians have begun to build a new relationship on what unites, namely our faith in Jesus as Lord of history and the Savior of the world, and our involvement in spreading His message about God's kingdom in the world. The best example of such an approach is the Taize Community. This ecumenical community of monks from the Catholic and Protestant Churches has helped millions of young people across the globe to rediscover their faith and get involved in the pastoral ministry of their respective Churches. Each year it holds its famous New Year Meetings in one of the European cities that appeal to those who are “spiritually hungry” and want to experience a new life in Christ. I had the privileged to attend the meeting held in Wroclaw, Poland, in 1995, and I will always cherish that experience. Despite coming from different churches and denominations, we were invoking the name of the same Lord and praying for the same goals: unity among us and peace on the earth. There are also signs of hope when it comes to the issue of equality. After eighteen centuries of seeing the practice as normal, all Christian Churches finally acknowledged that slavery is a crime, and after the Holocaust, that anti-semitism was a sin. It is also encouraging to notice that in recent years, more and more Churches are opening the door for women to be actively engaged in leadership and ministry. But, we still have a long way to go, before we can read Paul's words about equality and unity in Christ without sounding hypocritical.
The website of Freedom in Christ Ministries declares that in Christ “I am accepted; I am secure; I am significant; and I am free.” And N. Anderson states that “understanding your identity in Christ is absolutely essential to your success in living the victorious Christian life.” These are very uplifting and meaningful statements. But, what is valid for “I” is also applicable to “him” and “her.” Perhaps it is the individualistic form of Christianity with its focus on the first personal pronoun that does not allow us to grasp the meaning of Paul's phrase “in Christ.” “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it” (Luke 9:23-24). It is not about me but about Him. Crossan says: “the character of Christ has been totally assumed by Paul, and Paul's own character has been totally subsumed by Christ.” Moreover, it is not just me and Him, a dyad, but meeting Him daily in my brothers and sisters. The quality of my relationship with them affects the quality of my relationship with Christ. Paul learned it the hard way when he realized that by persecuting Jesus' followers, he was persecuting Jesus himself. Thus, in order to be faithful to his message it is necessary for us to declare that in Christ we are all equal and one. But, we need God's grace to help us live this declaration of faith in our churches. May Christ be assumed by us and we be subsumed by Christ.