Ecumenism (Christian Unity) of Blood (Pope Francis)
Introduction
Francis spoke prophetically of an “ecumenism of blood” (https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/ecumenism-of-blood-7277). Whilst this was immediately in the context of Isis’ indiscriminate persecution of all “brands” of Christianity in the Middle East, it has a vastly wider application to Christian unity. E.g. the current rash of youth suicide and the plague domestic violence in our midst is ultimately traceable to a crisis of a loss of models of healthy family life. Western society is currently polarised into a host of “tribes” e.g. feminists, male chauvinists, liberals, conservatives, and the unity of our nation seems hopelessly fragmented. A new vision of humanity is however emerging as the people of God begin to love one another in obedience to Jesus. ““A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”” (John 13;34-35). This great commandment has frequently and tragically been cast aside in favour of the Great Commission (Matt 38:18-20)! The early Church Father Tertullian (c. 155-220 A.D.), compared believers to pagans in temperament and conduct confidently commenting, “See how these Christians love one another”. Crucially, he lived in a time of widespread open persecution of Christianity. To deeply plumb the depths of the mystery of God (1 Cor 2:10), we need to encounter one another and to challenge each other under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit harmonizes diversities, overcomes conflicts, and reconciles differences (Eph 4:3). The mystery of “the love of the Spirit” (Rom 15:30) in the Body is the deepest ground of supernatural unity binding all Christians and is far greater than our petty historical divisions. To the extent that we humbly advance towards the Lord we draw nearer to one another. Communal Christian living is a prophetic sign of the world to come, a witness to that communion in Christ which transcends all differences and finds expression in concrete gestures of acceptance and dialogue. “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom 15:5-6) The gift of full communion between all Christians is “the sacred mystery of the unity of the Church” (Unitatis Redintegratio, 2) shining forth as the sign and instrument of reconciliation for the whole world.
Foundation in Christ
The experience of sin and its traumatic effects, limited to this-worldly realities, cannot define what it means to be a Christian. On this the Scripture is clear. “Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”” (John 20:17) The Early Church lived in these familial realities, “10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the church/ecclesia I will sing your praise.”13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.” (Heb 2:8-13) The ever present “brothers and sisters” (around 200x in NT) was a totally deep and defining reality. Forget models of Western/Protestant individualism, what the Lord is forming across the earth is deeper than any natural examples you may have witnessed e.g. Indigenous, Filipino, Italian etc groups, he is forming a love that can only be strengthened by external pressures of persecution. ““Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matt 5:11-12). This is the triumphant joy of the heavenly Family of God. Paul prophesies: “ I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Eph 3:14-19) Christian family is a miraculous Gospel fruit (1 Tim 3:15).
Suffering Heals the Universe
The apostle ecstatically testifies of Christ: “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Col 1: 20) Sacrificial love heals all dualisms and divisions (antinomies), not only between Christian “denominations” but the ever-present “battle of the sexes”, as in Marriage (Eph 5:21-33)! The foundational divisions introduced from the Fall (Gen 3:9-19) have been finally annulled in Jesus (1 John 3:8). The fallen Eve has a new Adam, a perfect source of Reason for the healing of divisions (2 Cor 11:3; 1 Tim 2:13-14; John 1:1-14). What Paul teaches is a fact of faith: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus….there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” (Gal 3:28; Col 3:11) Accepting suffering for Christ releases this power (Col 1:24-25). The missing dimension in our hearts for unity is a simple as it is profound. “Now before the Feast of the Passover (Good Friday), when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” (John 13:1) Christ’s eternally enduring love is now embodied in the Church. “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision (Law) nor uncircumcision (libertarianism) counts for anything, but only faith working through love….So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (Gal 5:6; 1 Cor 13:13).
Conclusion
The cultural “Awokening” in the Western is irreversible apart from the conversion of the cultural institutions that sponsor, particularly the universities and the arts. This conversion will only transpire as it did in the days of the Early Church, by the gradual salt and light penetration of culture through holy family life in Christ (Matt 5:14-16). Easter hope births a new day with a new creation and community of abiding faith, hope and love (John 20:1ff; 1 Cor 13:13). In the greater plan of God (Eph 1:11), sincere earnest human attempts to educate and heal our culture merely retraumatise it, so “flight, fight, freeze or fawn” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight-or-flight_response#cite_note-fawn-1) permeates society. We need re-immersion, a holy baptism in the Spirit, into the pure love of the Father and Son as promised by Jesus: “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. ” (John 17:22-23). To receive (1 Cor 4:7) this perfection of love we need a “second Pentecost” for Jesus “has been glorified” (John 7:37-39; Acts 2:33; 1 Tim 3:16). A new generation will experience this, correctly, as “otherworldly”, and they will not fall away! The answer to every question, or need, of faith is always….JESUS!!