CHRISTIAN UNITY AND INTERNATIONAL
DIVISIONS
North Carolina Christian
Advocate, April 8, 2003
by Reverend Eric Lindblade
The world situation is now
perilous. U.S. Marines from the Cherry Point Air Station,
which is located a half mile from my church, are being
deployed to far-off places, and my community is somber these
days. As the United States confronts the prospect of war
against terror, how could an article about Christian unity
possibly be relevant?
Perhaps the relevance is this: the
Christian faith does not just speak to our current world
situation, to the current issues of war and peace, but it
dares to proclaim a broader, divine vision of wholeness and
renewal for the whole world. The Christian faith dares to
dream of a time when the entire world will live in reconciled
and merciful relationships. While I do not expect to see this
hope fulfilled in my lifetime, we, as Christians, are called
to remind the world that this hope exists because of God’s
eschatological promises.
A besetting problem among
Christians, however, is that we ourselves are not unified.
There are denominations too numerous to mention, and it is
sometimes difficult to discern unity even within single
denominations and communions. If Christians are not
reconciled to each other, then how can we possibly proclaim
the hope of a reconciled world?
Even as the ecumenical movement
has sought unity among denominations, the differences between
and within churches have seemed too great to overcome.
However, there is reason for optimism. Having attended
ecumenical conferences for almost two decades, I am sensing a
welcome new direction in conversations about Christian unity.
Dr. Walter Kasper, who in times
past has been the chief ecumenical officer for the Vatican,
presented his views at the 2002 National Workshop on Christian
Unity in Cleveland. As a Roman Catholic, Dr. Kasper presents
views that are especially important in the ecumenical
community, since the Catholic-Protestant divide would seem to
be the greatest.
In an age in which Christians are
still very much divided, he invited us to find unity in a
shared heritage of martyrdom. Whatever our doctrinal
differences, we share people who in ages past, and even today,
have given their very lives for the sake of Christ.
Dr. Kasper also expressed his view
that true Christian community can be found outside the
Catholic Church. “Christ can be found in imperfect churches,”
he explained. Lest we detect in this remark an ecclesiastical
arrogance, he also noted that the Roman Catholic Church itself
is imperfect. Like every other church, it is “pilgrim and
sinful.” The wonder is that the Spirit of Christ still moves
even within the imperfections.
