10th Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 13B August 1, 2021
Ephesians 4:1-16 Panzer Liturgical Chapel
The
Quest for Unity
In 1998, Shawn and I bought a new SUV. Imagine my
surprise when I got up the next day to drive it to work and found the
instruction manual at my place at the breakfast table, complete with tabbed
pages to read before I headed out on my maiden voyage. Because apparently
that’s what you’re supposed to do… read the instructions before you start … who
knew?
We are halfway through the book of Ephesians and we
have reached a turning point in this letter. In the first three chapters, Paul
has been building up this faith community, keying in on the universal nature of
Christ’s call. It’s an exercise in identity reinforcement. To the Gentiles, he
says echoing familiar the Old Testament messages, once you were no people, now
you are God’s people, unified with all who call upon the name of the Lord. You
are travelers together on the Way. Common identity is found in our oneness with
Christ, which compels us to live out oneness with each other.
The opening word in Chapter 4 provides the pivot
point… therefore. Paul says, because of all that stuff I said earlier,
we are moving on what this looks like practically. In essence, he’s given us an
instruction manual for living out faith in Jesus Christ. The first problem to
overcome – figuring out how to see ourselves as a cohesive body of Christ. Even
more practically, how do we live as one? Paul gives simple, difficult
instructions - he tells us to bear one another in love, our first and greatest
challenge.
That’s not to say there
these are not theologically important words. In verses 4-6 we see the
beginnings of Trinitarian theology and basic building blocks for the first
creeds of the Church. Hear that when Paul writes, “You are one body and one
spirit, just as God also called you in one hope. There is one Lord, one faith,
one baptism, and one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and
in all.” It’s ironic that at the beginning of the practical theology
section of the letter, Paul writes one of the most defining theological truths
we can know.
This is the foundation of Paul’s call to unity. Sure,
we can understand why showing a united front would be important. But
practically, we have to figure out: what does look unity like in a world that
seems to value individuality and independence over everything else? Here’s a
hint: this is one of our first clues that living a Christian life is a
counter-cultural experience.
Additionally, unity isn’t about being or thinking just
like everyone else. Our unity is evidenced in how we live out the most basic
parts of faith. How does claiming Jesus as Lord and Savior change the way we
live? What must we do to make that unity visible to the world around us? In two
short words, Paul is telling us to grow up.[i]
When we hear that word – church – we think of buildings
or denominations. We think of all the things that make us different from one
another, like the color of our skin, our nationalities, our worship styles, or
the ways we interpret scripture. At some level those things are important, but
they distract or are even in opposition to, the instructions that Paul is
giving here.
Unity is about something more. It doesn’t come cheaply
or easily – it requires us to learn to live with one another. Sometimes
this means compromise. Sometimes this means admitting we made a mistake.
Sometimes it means forgiving others even when we don’t want to.[ii] And when we are really
brave, it requires us to tell the truth – the truth about God, the truth about
ourselves, and the truth about how we are called to live – as one.
These days, truth-telling often feels like walking a
razor-thin fence with alligators on one side and rattlesnakes on the other. The
questions we have to ask ourselves are these: How can I be honest about the
injustices I see without seeing others as the enemy? And likewise, how do we
hear someone sharing their truth and assume their behavior is intended to be
divisive, or even predatory?
We start by remembering that we are one – that is the
truth that Paul teaches. Our biggest challenge will always be seeing ourselves
that way. Unity is hard. It takes effort – building bridges and tearing down
walls. In these efforts, we can maintain, defend, and develop the small
glimpses of unity that we already enjoy – and break down the barriers that create
the disunity that creeps in when we are not attentive. Our work must always be
centered on becoming the unified and cohesive people we are called to be.[iii]
Every week we open our worship celebration with a
reminder of what Jesus taught as the greatest commandment – love God and love
others as we love ourselves. Simple yes, easy no – partially because it’s just
so hard to keep them in the proper balance. These tasks are meant to be
connected and evident in everything we think and do. These are the places where
we are called to use our gifts – to love and serve God and one another - even
when it’s harder than we imagined – and always surprised at the joy we
experience along the way.
Think about a scale. For a large part of our history,
people were paid for the goods they brought to market by weight. The items were
put on a scale, and they were brought into balance with reference weights worth
a predetermined value.[iv] This is the kind of worthiness
that Paul is talking about. Are we living our lives in a manner that is in balance
with the gifts that we have been given? Are we holding up our end of the
bargain? Are we even trying?
Second, I am always wary of people who claim that they
are telling the truth in love (verse 15). The phrase, “Hate the sin, love the
sinner,” falls into this category. When we hear that, it sounds really good.
But too many times, I have heard people use this to force or keep people out of
the circle of grace. Many have been driven from life in the Church with a poor understanding
of this verse.
The solution, of course, is to hear the verse in
context. Paul writes, Instead, by speaking the truth with love, let’s
grow in every way into Christ, who is the head. The whole body grows from
him, as it is joined and held together by all the supporting ligaments. The
body makes itself grow in that it builds itself up with love as each one does
its part.” Love covers truth, two to
one…
Speaking the truth in love doesn’t mean telling people
they are doing faith wrong or poorly. Instead, truth-telling is a way of
building up the body of Christ – of making it stronger and more unified as we work
and witness together. Earlier in the passage, Paul is emphatic in his
understanding that our oneness is found in our humility… no one of us is better
than anyone else. We all have different gifts, required and necessary in
different times and places. None of us is on the same path… but we are all
called to live as one body, in Christ.[v]
On the flip side, truth-telling can also be offered in
love but received with hostility. Many preachers will spend a lot of time
trying to craft a sermon that won’t offend anyone… a dauntless and fruitless
task, for sure. When we tell the truth in love, to create a path to unity,
someone will take offense. Someone will speak out in opposition. Someone may
even take revenge.
Simone Biles has dropped out of most of the events she
was planning to participate in at the Tokyo Olympics because she has developed “the
twisties,” an extreme disorientation of body and mind. It’s one of the most
dangerous things that can happen to a gymnast or diver. Their minds can no
longer process information about what their bodies are doing when they tumble
or spin. Everything they thought they knew about their craft is called into
question.
If you’ve ever had vertigo, I bet you can relate. I know
someone who was treated for an ear infection. For months after antibiotics, she
was disoriented by the floral wallpaper in her bathroom. One day, she fell off
the toilet and into the sliding glass door of her tub, damaging the door and
her shoulder. And so, until she moved out of that house, she didn’t use that
bathroom again. The disorientation was still real, even when everyone said it
was all in her head.
Now imagine that for someone doing multiple flips and
twists onto a hard surface or into a pool of water. That kind of disorientation
is not only dizzying but can be life-threatening. Kudos to everyone who has
stood up for Simone when she said “It’s OK not to be OK – my value as a human
being is not determined by how many medals I win or even if I compete.” And
yet, some call her every name in the book - quitter, loser, traitor. Love of
country, love of sport, love of competition – none of that is more important than
our call to love of people, even if we don’t understand their truths.
Disorientation – that’s what four law enforcement
officers talked about on Tuesday in the halls of Congress… their mission was to
keep the national’s capital and lawmakers safe. Almost seven months later, they
still cannot come to terms with the violence, hatred, and anger that confronted
them. But because they believed in their mandate, they pressed on, unified in
their determination to protect, serve, and defend.
Another example: it’s hard not to be frustrated when
you’ve done everything you can to combat an unseen enemy. Quarantined,
self-isolated, masked, and vaccinated – many of us have done all we could to
keep COVID-19 in check. But it wasn’t important to everyone, and so we are
stuck. I am among those church leaders who believe that these are not just
healthy behaviors – they are a part of how we are called to live out our faith
in love. And as hard and annoying as it feels today, we are called to keep
masking up, social distancing, and taking care, without complaint, because we
are called to love and serve one another, even when we don’t want to.
The truth that Paul wants to speak is not OUR truth,
but the truth about who Jesus is. When we hear “church growth,” we think about
putting more bodies in the pews. That is not primarily Paul’s focus. Instead,
Paul wants the people who already believe to grow in their faith. He taught
that when faith is made evident in the ways that people live and serve, it is
the best kind of advertisement for why people would want to follow Jesus, too. The
faith, truth, and gifts that Paul teaches are only fully understood when they
are seen through the eyes of love.[vi]
Paul believed that this kind of truth-telling grows
into mature Christians. It requires a lot from us. We have to be willing to be
vulnerable and willing to be rejected if we are the speakers. And if we are the
listeners, we need to remember that while we want to think of the church as a
place of peace and comfort, that may not be true all the time. It’s OK to see the
church as a shelter from the storms of the world around us… everyone is looking
for sanctuary at one time or another.
But somedays we will find that comfort is hard to
find, because the truths we hear from God’s word may make us squirm in our
seats. That truth might require something extra, even painful, from us. Our
willingness to grow as individuals and as a body of believers will determine
how much influence we will have in the world to support the people we have and
draw in more people to join us.
Dr. Eugene Peterson was a Presbyterian biblical
scholar who is best known for his modern paraphrase of the Bible. It’s not a
translation – he didn’t attempt to match closely word for word the ancient
texts he studied. Instead, he did something more nuanced. He thought about
these ideas in phrases and paragraphs, often including 20th-century
language, to capture the ideas that were intended for our present-day audience.
When we read scripture from The Message, Dr. Peterson doesn’t allow us to get
caught up in the exact verses we memorized as children. He often shocks us with
his insistent truth-telling. It’s a great addition to a study library, and very
relatable for families. I’ve printed our sermon lesson for today on the back of
your scripture insert. I challenge you to take it home and read it out loud. I
think you’ll be challenged, in a good way, with what you hear.
Our first calling is to present a unified front –
speaking the love of God with one voice – showing concern and offering care for
those in need, even if they are not our needs – in balance with the love that
God showed for us in the life death, and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ.
That might mean that life and faith and church don’t look the ways we expect.
Maybe in their unexpectedness, they will prove to mean even more.
I close with the unattributed prayer from a Civil War
soldier and published in the Oxford Book of Prayer. Today it reminds me that
unity will come only when I am willing to give up thinking I know best.
I asked God for strength, that I might achieve,
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked God for health, that I might do greater
things,
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy,
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of
men,
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of
God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life,
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I had
hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among men, most richly blessed.
Peace in Christ,
Deb
(c) Deb Luther Teagan, August 2021
[i]
Will Willimon, August 1, 2021: Grow Up, Pulpit Resource, Vol 49, no 3. Year B,
www.ministrymatters.com
[ii]
Willimon
[iii]
NT Wright, Ephesians: Living Our Calling – Chapter 7, IVP Connect.
[iv] Richard
Carlson, Commentary on Ephesians 4:1-16, August 1, 2021, www.theworkingpreacher.com
[v]
Carlson
[vi]
Carlson
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