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None of us have it altogether
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When I first became involved in the Emmaus Family of Prayer there was a quotation which was part of our community’s ethos. It read ‘none of us have it all together but all together we have it all.’ I don’t know who said it but it has been at the centre of our community’s life since then. It led us over the years to be very involved ecumenically with House churches and with people from mainline traditions. For several years we ran a conference called Be Reconciled where people of all traditions came together and celebrated their life in Christ. Centrality of Unity In October I was delighted to listen to Monsignor Peter Hocken at ‘The Moment of Opportunity’ conference. He reminded those of us who were there of the centrality of unity. I think it would be true to say that from the very beginning of Charismatic Renewal in these islands it has been ecumenical and maybe one of the reasons why it seems to have lost some of it’s momentum is because we have allowed our differences, rather than our faith in one Lord, to be the focus. We have rightly concentrated so much on understanding and entering into our own tradition that we have neglected to be as open to others as we might be.
One of the greatest scandals within Christianity is disunity, not difference but disunity. We can do things differently and still be united but too often blame and judgement and pointing the finger rears its ugly head. Too often struggles for power, jockeying for position and wanting our own way destroy the simple call to be united in love. Too often we create camps of the like minded that become exclusive rather than inclusive and all the time we water down the Gospel. Love - a sign of God’s presence It seems to me that the greatest witness we have today is unity. What will convince the world of the presence of God? Certainly not moralising or dogmatic statements but people who come together in love to share love with one another and the world, people who know how to stand with those in need, people who know how to celebrate love and life together, people who are united in love of the God who is bigger than all our differences. I’m sure that’s why Jesus in John 17 prays for unity. As a Church we need to recognise the goodness that lies in the heart of people of other traditions. They’re not bad or wrong just different. We have to stop pointing the finger at this group or that group and moralising about them and get on with the job of loving and making a real difference to people’s quality of life. As individuals we have to face ourselves and recognise that the things we don’t like in others are probably locked deep within our own hearts if we only had the courage to look at them and face them and love them. Whenever you experience the presence of God in a profound way it will call you into relationship with others. If your experience of the spirit hasn’t led you to the knowledge that you are one with your brothers and sisters of other traditions and more than that, one with the whole human race, then maybe it’s not as full an experience of the spirit as it could be. We are called to live our lives for the sake of unity. The world can’t produce unity. Only the presence of God can draw us into unity. If you want to live a fully Christian life then give your life for unity. That will shatter your faith understanding as your horizons, your political ideologies and your social ideologies are broadened. It will revolutionise the way that you live and your understanding of what life is and about life. It will lead you into conflict with those who don’t understand but you will know that you are being faithful to the call to be one as Jesus and the Father are one.
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In
1976 Mairead Corrigan witnessed her sister’s three children being
mowed down by a car driven by a terrorist that went out of control.
Her friend Betty Williams was also a witness and within days both women
became campaigners for peace, denouncing violence and calling for mass
opposition. Hundreds of women took to the streets and together made
their statement. Mairead and Betty won the Nobel Peace prize that year.
Even though I was only sixteen at the time it had a profound effect
on me and I remember thinking what an incredible power there is in unity.
When people get together concentrating on what they have in common and
not on what separates, amazing things can happen.