As diverse peoples get together, problems arise! Rarely do the difficulties come from hypocrisy or anything false or pretentious but, more likely, from differing ways of interpreting, communicating, and acting on biblical truths.
The early church dealt with this so often that the Epistles frequently speak of inspired ways to work through cultural clashes. However, in today’s reading from Ephesians, the Apostle Paul calls on Christians to do more than just get along. He calls on them (and us!) to love one another and see one another as a vital and gifted part of the Body of Christ – not only as God envisions us but as the Holy Spirit equips us to be.
Writing from prison Paul exhorts the Christians in Ephesus – and everywhere – to get God’s boundless vision of who we are in Him:
As the Lord’s own captive,
I beg you
to lead a life worthy of the calling
to which you have been called.
With all humility, gentleness,
and patience,
accept one another
in love,
doing everything you can
to keep united in the Spirit,
tied with bonds
of peace.
One body, one Spirit calls you
to one hope, one Lord,
one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all,
Who is above all and through all
and in all of you!
In Christ,
each of us has grace
in varying measure.
To some, Christ gave gifts
to be apostles, some prophets,
some the ability to go tell
the Good News, some to shepherd
or teach God’s people, but all
equipped to minister to others
and build up the Body of Christ
as we come us together
in the unity of faith
and knowledge of God’s Son –
maturing into the fullness of Christ.
No longer must we be children,
tossed about by personal preferences
or blown away by anything new!
Nor are we to be tricked
or scheme to get our way.
No! Speaking the truth in love,
we will grow up and into Christ,
the Head by Whom the whole
Body of The Anointed One
is joined and knitted together –
ligament by ligament
(person by person)
until each works well together
and helps the church body
to build strength
and grow strong in love.
© 2013, Mary Sayler, prayer-a-phrase of Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16. All rights reserved, but pass it on!
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