Together for Christ

Christian unity has been a priority for the Church since Christ returned to His Throne on Asension Day. We must never ignore His prayer prior to His Passion that we “are one” as He is one with the Father. Unity in Christ is much more than being in the same room.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God and Timothy our brother. To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound for us, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you all also share in our comfort.

2^nd Corinthians 1.1-7

Saint Paul opens his second letter to the Corinthians with a bold declaration of what it means to be together for Christ. Our suffering AND our comfort are shared with each other FOR each other. We cannot escape this truth of our baptism. It is one reason for Holy Confession.

Many do not realize that Holy Confession ‘used to be’ public. The bishop would forgive sins on behalf of the entire Church, not sitting privately in front of the Icons. It is hard to imagine that experience as a priest who has the blessing to witness many gut-wrenching confessions.

When we confess to the Church we are doing more than being forgiven by God. We are admitting that our sin affects the Church. If we believe our unity with God in baptism, then we must understand our unity with each other. Saint Paul knew it and wanted us to know it.

Today’s blog is not about Holy Confession. Today I invite you to rethink your relationship with the Church. Instead of seeing your brothers and sisters in the pews as companions on your journey, I urge you to consider them part of you. Let’s get back to Saint Paul’s introduction.

Our suffering and comfort are for mutual benefit in our spiritual journey. Think of the stories of the martyrs who suffered for Christ. Their suffering inspires us to stand strong in our limited struggle today. Likewise, the glory the saints received from God inspire us to remain faithful.

Until we begin to see each other as part of us we will never learn to love them. We will never learn to be merciful as God is merciful. We will never bother to forgive them for their sins ‘against’ us. Until we live with each other together for Christ we will never live with Him.

Today is the final day of our Dormition Fast. Tomorrow we will gather for the Feast and surround the tomb of the Mother of God expressing our love for her as our mother. We will for a moment forget that we have enemies outside the Church. We will be focused on God’s mother.

It would be a shame for us to leave tomorrow’s liturgy having wasted our fast by forgetting our unity with each other. It would be a shame for us to lose the progress we’ve made by fasting and attending extra services. All the fasting and services will never replace unity in love.

Sometimes the Feast of the Dormition is called “Summer Pascha” because there are so many similarities between the tomb of Panagia and the tomb of Christ. Pascha has a way of inspiring us to kickstart our faith journey again. This week’s feast can have the same impact.

It begins with asking God to help you see others in the Church as part of you. It begins with asking God to help you see their suffering and comfort as your suffering and comfort. It begins with asking God to help you understand what it means to be together for Christ.

It begins with love.