Episode 57: Interview with Gary Pecuch
Faith and Life Podcast
info_outline Episode 56: Faith and Life in Comics?Faith and Life Podcast
info_outline Episode 55: Was Jesus Political?Faith and Life Podcast
info_outline Episode 54: An Interview with Missionaries Zach and Caitlyn FerraroFaith and Life Podcast
info_outline Episode 53: A Conversation about the Church in the WorldFaith and Life Podcast
info_outline Episode 52: Season Three KickoffFaith and Life Podcast
info_outline Episode 51: Season Two Wrap UpFaith and Life Podcast
info_outline Episode 50: Interview with Jenny WalshFaith and Life Podcast
info_outline Episode 49: A Talk about VacationFaith and Life Podcast
info_outline Episode 48: Interview with Pastor Mike WeaverFaith and Life Podcast
info_outline“Many people in America today would say that divisiveness is one of the most dangerous issues in our common life, that factionalism and misguided allegiance keep us from being able to address the very serious challenges that confront us today: increasing disparity between rich and poor, climate change, global violence, competition for natural resources, migration due to war and famine.
And of course, each of these issues has its local manifestation:
- isolation of people in homogeneous neighborhoods;
- fear of strangers, of other races and nationalities, refugees, the homeless—or the despair of being the stranger, the refugee, or without a home;
- addiction, mental illness, trauma;
- a lack of individual commitment to the well-being of an entire town or city;
- a sense of powerlessness when it comes to self-regulating the use of fossil fuels, water, food.” ~Jane Lancaster Patterson
Paul is not necessarily emphasizing uniformity, completely, but a unity of thought and opinion about the Gospel.
What’s at stake is the mission of the local church. Paul asks rhetorically, “Is Christ divided?” If Christ had been divided internally about his mission as the Messiah, the witness would have been compromised. Christ’s unity within himself birthed the church for future generations. We stand united in Christ and thus pass on to future generations a healthy and vibrant church.
Next Step: “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3-6)