Reflections from the Heart

So what can be done? Where is the common ground in our midst that is fertile enough to feed the seeds of unity? What issues need to be laid aside for the sake of the kingdom of heaven?

The issues that divide our Christian communities are broad. They are steeped with tradition and have been inbred for generations. Even as Paul warned the Corinthians against aligning with the prophets of choice such as Apollos and Cephas, Christianity has evolved into a set of cliques and sects based on the teachings of one leader or another. "I follow the Wesleyan tradition." "I am a Calvinist." "Our church follows the teachings of John Darby." "Martin Luther is our inspiration."

The list does not end with the prophets of the past. Modern-day leaders such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Billy Graham, James Dobson, Bill Hybels, and many more inspire zeal, excitement, and a strong sense of self-righteousness.

Individuals hop from one church to another, seeking just the right situations where their beliefs are affirmed and not challenged. We strive to be on the winning team that supports the right issues and promises victory in the end. We wave our banners and unfurl our colors in an attempt to cheer our team to victory just as though it were Super Bowl Sunday. Victory assures our righteousness.

There is nothing wrong in feeling good about our churches or the successes in ministry we are having. But just as in a football game, the feeling of victory is only felt by half of the people. The other half walk away as losers.

In the kingdom of heaven there are no losers. The Beatitudes make this point quite clearly. (Matt 5:1-12) The kingdom of heaven is for the outcasts of society. And no matter with which winning team we align ourselves, on some level, we find that we are all outcasts. We are outcasts as women, children, or men. We are secluded in age and in illness. We are alone in our anxieties and worries. We are naked in our hearts and in our souls. If we are to draw a line that separates the 'ins' from the 'outs,' we will find that, depending on who draws the line, we will all be out.

So how do we erase these differences? Where is that fertile and common ground? It starts with the ability to talk to one another face to face and heart to heart. It begins with the elimination of exclusivity? It grows by erasing feelings of closure and self-righteousness and flourishes through the ministry of acceptance. It explodes when we glorify our differences and celebrate the presence of Christ in the world.

Acceptance is the love of God. Remembering that Christ came to save the world and not to condemn it, (John 3:17) we are called to reach out beyond our selves and embrace the world with love. We are to love those different from ourselves. We are called to love the outcast. We are called to create peace and harmony in the world. We are called to provide comfort. We are to be gentle. We are to feed and be fed. And we are show mercy in everything we do.

We are called to be builders of the kingdom of heaven…not a kingdom that may happen in some future millennium when the stars and the geopolitical maps are all aligned, and not when the "powers of evil" are eliminated. The kingdom of heaven is at hand, now and forevermore.