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Unity and Diversity of Faith ...
Thur, Aug 7, 2014. This morning we visited a museum about Danish history. One of its parts attrated my attention: the revivals which took place in the 18th and 19th century and which shaped a part of the southern Danish landscape. Influenced by pietism, a lot of people found back to a personal faith …
Revival between enthusiasm and conflict …
It is great if people who have no faith or have a faith which is more or less sleeping find back to a life which is filled by God and his spirit. Of course, this life also means changes in our habits. People will not continue with all what they have been doing. In Denmark, for example, this meant that the way Christmas was celebrated changed. Before, it was a fest full of large quantities of alcohol. After, it became more a celebration with coffee, tee and chocolate.
But the revival also brought conflicts. Some of the leaders did not want to follow the changes. Some objected their necessity. Some thought that it is going into the wrong direction. Revivals have always brought conflicts. It does not please all, when people come to faith.
We need to see that there is both a deep unity of faith, as well as a huge diversity. Christians all over the globe have developed their particular customs to celebrate their services, to live their faith. There are thousands of Christian songs in all different styles you can imagine. Services have their particular forms. Prayers have their form - some formal, written down and repeated many times, others spontaneous. But through all these different forms, there is one God in all of us, and one spirit, the spirit of Christ Jesus.
Differences in Interpretation …
As Christians, there are also differences in the way we interpret the bible or parts of it. Some think that you should not drink alcohol, but be filled with the holy spirit. Others have no problem with (small) amounts of alcohol - even Paul recommended this to a friend (1. Tim 5, 23). Usually, there are no big difficulties with such differences. We do not necessarily have to practice the same things, there are so many different congregations, such that for everyone there is one which shares the main focal points.
There are, of course, more important questions. When it comes to salvation, the churches might have important differences. We still believe in the same God, in the same Jesus, in the same Holy Spirit. But our understanding of how exactly he meant some of his statements is different. We will have to live with these differences. We will always have to make decisions about what we can do together, and what we cannot do as joint activities. The catholic church, the protestant churches, the orthodox church, many different unions of christian churches have their views - and their way to practice their belief in Jesus.
Despite of all differences, I see a great unity between all those who sincerely believe in Jesus. Of course, there are differences, and also conflicts between the Christian congregations. But is is more like the conflicts between brothers and sisters - they do not destroy the unity, which is given by a joint heavenly father, the living God and Saviour! (Roland Potthast) ... more texts