God's Great River of Diversity Conclusion
Something there is that doesn’t love a wall. (Robert Frost, Mending Wall)
God’s great river of diversity will flow freely and fully when God’s people recognize the spiritual benefits of learning from one another. It is time to stop feeling threatened by others whose faith and practice differ from our own. Our obsession with defending the faith (read: our particular denomination’s understanding of the faith.) is an inconvenient insecurity that is damming up the tributary of our individual Christian traditions and keeping them from flowing into God’s great river.
In John 7:38, Jesus speaks of rivers of living water flowing from his disciples. As those individual rivers (or tributaries)come together, they create a mighty river that, in time, will find its way into the vast ocean of our creator and God.
The Lutheran stream, the Methodist stream, the Roman Catholic stream, the Eastern Orthodox stream, the Baptist stream, the Anglican stream; all of these streams will someday become the river of life flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb. (See Revelation 22:1)So, why not come together now? Why not fulfill the prayer of our Lord in John 17:21 - “that they all be one as you Father are in me and I am in you. May they also be one in us so the world may believe that you sent me.”
This does not mean eliminating our individual traditions and distinctions. It does mean respecting the traditions and distinctions of others.
It is a humbling thought to think of our denomination or tradition as a tributary, one of many others, but from my experience as a pastor and a Christian, most of us could stand a little more humility!
If we were only more open to learning from one another, respecting our differences, and appreciating the many similarities and things upon which we do agree, the banks of God’s great river would overflow with living water for thirsty souls and broken hearts all around us.
Again, I’m not suggesting we do away with our individual beliefs and practices. Unity is more a state of mind or a state of heart if you will. And when our hearts beat with a passion and desire to come together with God’s people, whatever their beliefs and practices, we will be filled with the love and Spirit of God.
Let’s tear down the dams and walls keeping our individual streams from merging together. What a message that would send. What a display of unity and peace. What a balm of Gilead for a wounded and dying world.
In Christ,
Dan
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