Dear Rose Park,
“I ask not only on behalf of these but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them.”
These are the words of Jesus founds in John 17: 20-26. Jesus is praying for unity in His disciples. Read it again if necessary, but the word ‘one’ is mentioned four times to stress the importance of unity. Notice however, the difference between unity and uniformity. Uniformity is defined as sameness; when individuals dress identically they are practicing uniformity. Unity on the other hand, is defined as being joined together for a common purpose. Unity does not require sameness or identical looks or behavior, instead it aims towards a covenant. Covenant is not a word we typically use in our vocabulary, however for people of faith it is a very important word.
Throughout scripture we see various covenants; look particularly in the Old Testament and you’ll find several examples. A covenant is a binding agreement, perhaps similar to a contract. Promises are made and responsibilities are communicated. One sign of the covenant includes sharing a meal together; in our context, we remember God’s covenant when we approach His table and when we touch the waters of baptism. One of the most meaningful or beautiful parts of a covenant is that disagreements can exist while the covenant remains intact. In other words, our commitment to keeping the covenant is stronger than our own opinions or even stronger than our desire to convince or correct the other party; our unity in the covenant of Christ is stronger than any desire to be uniform.
This is my hope for almost any relationship. Whether in our own worshipping body at Rose Park, our friends or family, our classis or even the denomination, we can disagree because our unity in the covenant of Christ is stronger than our disagreement. I recognize not everyone has this same hope or reality, but I worry for what kind of precedence we set and the ripple effect that occurs when we start the process of dividing and breaking covenant and unity. You’ll see in the summary of General Synod (linked below) and you’ve probably heard from other sources there are some churches who feel they cannot keep the covenant any more and have decided to leave the Reformed Church in America. I pray for their ministries and hope they continue to build up the Kingdom of God, but I have no intention of breaking unity in order to seek uniformity.
Perhaps those who are willing to dig deep will find the rich and unifying soil of Christ is still there. Perhaps this is an opportunity to set an example of how the covenant of Christ can bring unity even when there disagreements. Perhaps this is another place where we can be drawn closer to each other as we’re drawn closer to Him.
Grace & Peace,
