OnenessA human relationship

challengeRev. Dr. Huberto Pimentel

National Pastor for Hispanic MinistriesChristian Church (Disciples of Christ)

The Spirit makes Unity

A notable way in which the Spirit express himself in the Christian community is creating unity. Unity is given.

Ephesians 4:3-4 sketches what we have in common: “Endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, as you are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all, and through all, and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ gift”.

The Spirit makes Unity

Paul insist that the Spirit creates unity, and that it is the job of the Christians to keep that unity and not spoil it.

Paradoxically, like so much in the Christian life, unity is a gift of God, and yet we have to work at it.

The Church must preserve Unity

In these family, seen as One Body, indwell by One Spirit, there is no place for distinctions of wealth or station, sex or nationality, no room for pride in education or religious privilege (Col. 3:11; Jas 2:1ff).

It accounts for the decision of the Council of Jerusalem that the issue of circumcision must not be allowed to split the Church (Acts 15).

The Church must preserve Unity

This unity in the Spirit bridges the gap between Jews and Gentiles once they become Christians (Eph 2:15) and breaks down the hostility between human beings of different colours and backgrounds.

Our faith is not a philosophical statement allowing some to imagine themselves as custodians of the right believe.

The Church must preserve Unity

Disunity is utterly repulsive to Christ.

1 Peter gives us a fuller detail of the Body in Unity:”Individual Christians are spiritual stones which go to make up the spiritual temple which is built in Christ”. (1 Pet 2:5).

The person who spoils the temple of Gd by encouraging disunity will be destroyed by God (1Cor 3:17). This is how highly Paul rates the unity of the Christian Church.

What sin is?

If the human dilemma is brokenness in the divine-human relation and in the sphere of human relationships,Then, sin is living in ways which perpetuate alienation and contribute to it. It is both being conditioned (systemic- corporate), and choosing (individual responsibility) to live...

Over the otherto dominate

to useto control

to manipulateleading to contempt

Against the otherin competition

in jealouslyin selfishness

in hurtingleading to antagonism

Despite the otherin rejection

in unconcernin self-fulfillment

in doing one’s own thingleading to isolation

Apart from the otherin withdrawal

in flightin self-sufficiency

leading to emptiness

Inside the otherin fusion

in parasiticin liutus “through the

other”leading to lose of

identity

Under the otherputting oneself downmaking the other my

godleading to resentment

Rather than with and for the other

in truth and lovein mutuality and

complementarinessleading to fulfillment and

growth

finaleFrom the cowardice that shrinks

from new truths,

From the laziness that is content with half-truths,

And from the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth,

O God of truth, deliver us

Quote in Henlee H. Barnette, “The Minister as a Moral Role Model,” Revex 86 (1989): 509-10.