Garth George: A time, perhaps, for Christians to contemplate disunity

Tomorrow and at the weekend hundreds of millions of Christians throughout the world once again celebrate the events of the first Easter, from which arise the very core of their belief - the death and resurrection of their Lord Jesus Christ.

It is the one thing which binds all Christians into what is known as the body of Christ, and forms at least 95 per cent of what all believers have in common, irrespective of denomination or sect, from the comfortable, liberal believers to be found in, say, the Destiny Church to the sacrificial and arch-conservative believers to be found in, say, Opus Dei.

The problem is, of course, that too few Christians subscribe to that view and we spend too much of our time arguing about the remaining 5 per cent.

And I reckon that our Lord, who sits at the right hand of God the Father, as he looks down on the world today is less concerned at the state of society than he is with the state of his church and the disunity that has dogged it ever since the apostles were cold in their graves.

Because he knows that if his church was in better shape, then the world would be in far better shape, too.

On the night before he died, which is commemorated tonight, Jesus laid it out to his disciples as they ate the Last Supper. Just before the gathering broke up and he went to the Garden of Gethsemane where he was arrested, he prayed for his men in these words:

"As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in me through their word; that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me.

"The glory which you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as we are one - I in them and you in me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that you sent me, and loved them, even as you have loved me."

There can be no underestimating the importance of these words, because Jesus knew that his life was about to end and he made every word count. It is significant, too, that he was not speaking just to his disciples but to all who would come after them, and that includes us.

His emphasis was on unity because he knew that, like survivors in a lifeboat, if we didn't all pull together, then we would all sink together.

And, worse, that the power of the sacrifice he was about to make for all mankind would be diluted by an unloving, critical, argumentative disunity among his followers.

Which, of course, has happened almost from that day and continues to happen to this, and I am as guilty of it as any brother and sister in Christ.

This Easter, then, it might be a good idea if we Christians were to ponder the importance of loving one another and of standing together in unity, which doesn't mean that we have to agree about everything but that we present a united front against the forces of evil in spite of our differences.

Because, after all, at bottom we all agree on that 95 per cent, which is probably best expressed in the Apostles Creed, a fundamental document of Christianity drafted and perfected over centuries, beginning sometime early in the third. It says:

"I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and Earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen."

Let us all, therefore, enter into this sacred season of Easter in an attitude of love and acceptance, acknowledging that God revels in diversity (just look at his creation), including the diversity of his church, and that there is room or all of us in his kingdom on Earth - from Catholic to Charismatic, Presbyterian to Pentecostal.

God doesn't really care about what we call ourselves, or what we might believe apart from the fundamentals. What he really wants of us is that we strive each day to be a little more like Jesus, who was so patient, kind, generous, humble, courteous, unselfish, good-tempered, guileless and sincere that wherever he went he attracted thousands.

For it is not what we say, or necessarily even what we do, it is what we are that will attract others to our Lord and Saviour. May we all resolve as we remember with awe the greatest event this world has ever seen - the resurrection of God's Messiah - to try harder to emulate him this Easter.