The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity serves as a vivid reminder of the fragmentation that exists within the body of Christ, and the need for Christ’s Church to be made whole again. But what does it mean to be unified, and how do we bring about unity?
The mortal enemy of unity is relativism. Relativism proclaims with ironic certainty the non-existence of Truth. While one generally associates relativism with secular culture, it has made its abode within the realm of the religious as well. A prime example is the drawn-out implosion of the Anglican Union. Rather than embrace Truth, the Archbishop of Canterbury instead suggested that there can be two separate tracks within Anglicanism, one that accepts practicing homosexual clergy and same-sex “marriage” and one that does not. I like to think of it as the Rodney King solution…”Can’t we all just get along?” It isn’t that easy. Either homosexual acts are gravely immoral or they are not. The same is true of abortion. Either the embryo is a human life, or it is not. Contraception is intrinsically evil or it is not. The Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ, or it is not. It is impossible for two opposing beliefs to be simultaneously true.
Yet, that is exactly what many Christians proclaim, for it is far easier to say “Let us agree to disagree” than to undertake the daunting task of seeking the Truth. In many ways, this is the inevitable result of the Protestant Reformation. For, it is the only way to justify the existence of over 30,000 Protestant “denominations”, all disagreeing with each other on matters of doctrine and discipline. It is also the only way to justify the notion of biblical perspicuity, the idea that any man, uneducated or educated, can rightly interpret the scriptures for himself. If each man can glean the fundamental Truths of Christianity, then why are there so many ecclesial communities, each opposed to the others on the most fundamental issues?
The relativism which has infected the Church has brought about a false sense of unity. It is a superficial unity in which all appears well on the surface. In reality, this superficial unity is disunity of the worst kind, self-perpetuating disunity. Unless we stop pretending, we will never attain true unity. For, true unity requires that we examine those things which divide us in an unbiased endeavor to seek the Truth, no matter how painful the task.
A key to doing this is to move beyond the fear of somehow offending our brother. In the Church today, there is much talk about “sheep stealing.” When Benedict XVI created a pathway to unity for disaffected Anglicans, some in the Vatican stumbled over themselves to proclaim that the Catholic Church is not “sheep stealing.” Even some within our country’s Bishops’ Conference rail against “sheep stealing”, strictly warning the faithful that proselytizing is forbidden. But what is proselytizing? By definition, to proselytize means to “to induce someone to convert to one’s faith” (Webster). Likewise, to induce is “to move by persuasion or influence” (ibid). So, what exactly is wrong with moving someone by persuasion or influence to convert to one’s faith? Granted, the use of violent force is never permissible, but there is nothing wrong with proselytizing in a prudent manner. Our Lord commanded us to make disciples of all nations (cf. Mt 28:19). That does not happen by keeping our faith closeted for fear of causing someone discomfort or offense. Rather, it means proclaiming the Truth to the world, despite discomfort. If those who hear our message and see our witness grow uncomfortable, it is probably because they are troubled by the knowledge of the Truth. Discomfort, or lack of peace, is a great motivator of man’s soul. It tells him that his heart is not where it should be and that only conformity to Christ will bring him the peace he desires.
Before we can proselytize, or witness, to others, we must be able explain to them, with one voice, the hope which we possess (cf. 1 Pt 3:15). Each of us must seek the Truth, embracing even those “hard teachings” (cf. Jn 6:60) we would prefer to ignore. We must be strive together to heal the wounds we have inflicted upon ourselves, “building up the body of Christ until we attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness and deceitful wiles.” (Eph 4: 13-14)
Our Lord warned us that a house divided against itself cannot stand (cf. Mt 12:25). While we sit on the sidelines fretting over “sheep stealing”, the Church is being assailed from every side with alarming effect. Should we not enter the fray? Or are we of too little faith?
Nicholas
Great post Nicholas, really great!