The Bond of Peace
| "I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called . . . making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Ephesians4:1-3) |
Sadly, in prison Paul is receiving reports of infighting among believers and he sends a letter "begging" them to get their act together. Begging suggests a measure of desperation and Paul would have been desperate. When Christians are constantly at loggerheads and churches begin to come apart at the seams the credibility of the Gospel is undermined. If we are not able to heal our divisions and brokenness why should anyone outside the church bother to listen to us? Surely, we have to practise what we preach.
Certainly! But where do we begin? It has to go deeper than 'Lets try and be nice to one another.'
Paul tells us that healing and unity are found and maintained "through the bond of peace", which is God's costly and reconciling commitment in Jesus towards you and I; towards your church and mine.
Jesus is our "bond of peace" and as we come to place our trust in Him, as we come into relationship with Him, a new reality takes hold of us and we become integral players in the unifying "bond of peace". We become part of Christ, part of His peace team to bring healing and unity to this broken world.
It's amazing when you think about it. But when that vision and reality fade we are left with dying congregations. Where we "make every effort" to maintain that vision, churches are resurrected and dry bones begin to live once more.
The bond of peace is not just a dry theological statement, it is the lively and reconciling energy that flows through our lives and our churches from the Cross of Jesus. It is maintained and renewed in regular participation with others in Holy Communion and especially in the practise of hospitality.
The path of peace is never easy. We have to "make every effort" to keep it alive. Sometimes it feels like a mountain we have to climb but we simply have to keep at it. But in so doing never forget that we are speaking here about the empowering presence of our ever-living Lord and Saviour. Jesus is our bond of peace, so do everything in your power to keep that relationship alive. There is much at stake.
"Blessed are the peacemakers," said Jesus to His followers of which you are one "for they shall be called sons and daughters of God." It is a high calling and it is little wonder therefore that Paul "begs" us, or implores us, to live lives worthy of that calling.
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James Gray is a retired minister living in Hermanus. He plays golf and gives illustrated talks on a variety of subjects, the latest in preparation being 'A Broken Hallelujah: The Spiritual Vision of Vincent van Gogh.' James is happily married to Mariette.
