The Bonds of Faith Life ...

Monday, August 1, 2016. Yesterday we visited some catholic church. There was a little prayer book, which caught our attention. It was a book full of requests. Many of these were requests for health. But there were also others, people talking about their faith, about their search, their struggle, and their love to be close to God. It was a touching experience … and one where I felt a deep unity with those who believe in Christ Jesus!

One Body …

There are many churches today, and the theologians among us know the differences which we have in our interpretation of some parts of the gospel. But when it comes to people of faith, there is a very deep unity. We are close, what ever the differences might be. Where people accept the saving grace of God through Christ Jesus, we are one body, we belong to the same eternal father. I am reminded of the letter which the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth:

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many.

15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. (from 1 Cor 12)

The Future is Ours …

I know that the community between the churches is difficult. I know that there are things which keep us from full community - that applies to a lot of different churches. And I also know that there are preachers in the churches who create further fractions by putting particular parts of the gospel forward as indispensable - where others see them as second rank or have a different interpretation.

God is the father, Jesus is the son and he is our savior, the only door we have to full reconciliation with the creating power of the universe. And it is true, he IS the savior. He IS the son of men and son of God at the same time, the bridge through time and space. The gospel is life and light and truth and love.

I have a deep joy to find faith in all Christian churches. I have great respect for the faith of the many simple believers - both all over the world and just around the corner. We are one, and the future is ours. God has blessed your faith, your trust, your faithfulness. And there is huge value in the comfort which the Holy Spirit gives to us day by day. (Roland Potthast) ... more texts