The World Seeks Togetherness
WRITTEN BY DREW MATZ
Unity Series
“The point is to look to Christ the head, where the antidote to heal the human heart and soul is found…”
Explanation:
For Paul, all theology hinges on Christology. If you want to make a point about how we should live in the world, you appeal to Christ himself, and what he has done in redeeming the world, and all things flow from this great mystery – that all things in heaven and on earth hold together through, by, and in Christ himself. Jesus and his people are described together as one entire entity. Therefore, when he addresses problems, such as sin and disunity, the point is to look to Christ the head, where the antidote to heal the human heart and soul is found. Only when this problem is addressed can we allow the spirit to work through us so that the world is transformed – not out of force and coercion, but through love – which is the fulfillment of the law.
Connection:
It is difficult to be involved in society today without a discussion about unity. The term is nearly ubiquitous. Everyone everywhere has some kind of opinion on it, what it should look like, and how we can achieve it. Pop culture, entertainment, sports - one cannot seem to escape the sloganeering and commentary on soapboxes and platforms. With so much discussion around the Idea of unity, one thing that one notices pretty quickly is that it is often poorly defined. Everyone wants unity, to be sure. But what does unity actually look like?
The societal thirst for unity and to overcome divisions is actually quite ancient in terms of the age of society. Immediately after Jesus' resurrection, the disciples themselves were wrestling with this idea of unity and harmony, of how Jew and Gentile are supposed to live in relation of one another now that the barrier of hostility has been brought down through the death and resurrection of Jesus. There are ethnic and racial divisions, sure. Yet there are other divisions that transcend our fleshly lineages. They are rooted not in external markers, but in our nature as sinners. We became exiled from God himself, just as the Israelites were exiled over and over again from their homeland. In our sin, we became hostile to God and in turn, hostile to our neighbor. It is in this vicious cycle of estrangement that in which Christ submersed himself. He became a willing participant in our human cycles of sin, exile, estrangement. He allowed himself to be handed over and killed as a result of our divisive human schemes. He subsisted in our world of division - but did not become of it. Yes, our Lord came and transcended all forms of injustice, so that by filling these areas with his presence, we might become unified through faith in him who overcame.
Action:
1. Embrace the Headship of Jesus -
As Christians, we are described as Christ's body, over which he is the head. It is through us that Christ interacts with his creation. Therefore, embrace your role as a member of his Church. Just as the members of our body do not reject our headship, so too should we submit to the headship of Christ so that everyone lives In harmony with God and one another.
2. Be Reconciled -
It is astonishing what God has done in Christ to reconcile the world to himself. In light of Paul's letter, he extends to all people the invitation to participate in this reconciliation, to be made new in his image and be healed of all strife and division. Therefore, repent and believe In the Gospel, that you might be transformed by the washing of regeneration and be made a participant in this new creation which is already here, yet not yet fully realized.
3. Go Out Into the World -
As much as we see the world being turned upside-down by those who are lost In the delusion of sin and death as they attempt to construct their own utopia on Earth, let us remember the words of our Lord who teaches us that "all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (Matthew 28:18). Let us therefore go out into the world in confidence, without fear of death or retribution, and proclaim the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, that others may too be saved from this vicious cycle of sin, death, and disappointment.