Presence Weekly - 05/22/2023

The Devo: "Unity, Diversity & Faithful Presence"

The unity of the disciples was heavy on the heart of Jesus when he prayed to his Father in the Garden of Gethsemane just hours before his arrest.

"²⁰ “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹ that they may all be one, just 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 have sent me. ²² The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, ²³ I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me." Jn 17:20–23.

Jesus had gathered introverts and extroverts, tax collectors, and anti-government zealots. The small band was ripe for conflict. Yet Christ understood that these differences would testify to the gospel. Not the differences themselves but the disciple's ability to love each other and their common purpose more than their differences.

At the end of the redemptive narrative, In Revelation 7, we read these words,

"⁹ After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰ and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."

Of course, this is a vision of an event that has yet to happen. But, because Scripture is true, it absolutely will happen. This scene is amazing because it builds upon the small group of 12 (actually 11) in the Garden. In the New Heavens and the New Earth, the unity of God's people will include men, women, Koreans, Chinese, Ghanian, Columbian, Thai, Sri Lankan, Congolese, Canadian, Native American, Jews, Baptists, Charismatics, Methodists, those who baptize babies and those who practice believer's baptism, free-market libertarians and communists, the wealthy, the poor, those who were known for notorious sin, and those who were mocked for their piety.

The prayer of Jesus is overtly missional and evangelistic. He prays for them to love each other so that seekers and skeptics will know that the Father loves them and sent his Son for them. The phrase "so that" constitutes a purpose clause in the original Greek and conveys that the prior statement brings about the latter statement.

A couple of weeks ago, I spent three days in Atlanta at the One America Movement's 2023 summit alongside 150 other Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faith leaders. All these"children of Abraham" were working together in unity of purpose, despite our serious disagreements on a "theology of salvation" to counter the toxic polarization ripping our churches, communities, and nation apart.

As we were discussing best practices in one particular workshop, I reflected upon how five questions of Faithful Presence (What is good that seeks encouragement? What is broken that needs restoration? What is missing that awaits creation? What is evil that demands opposition?) are a pathway for all those united in Christ to participate in Christ's mission of making all things new, while laboring with those who we hope will receive the true salvation offered only through Christ's atoning death and victorious resurrection!

These faith traditions have much in common; each is called to bless outsiders. Of course, I am not advocating any theological universalism. Still, we can and should work with those outside of the Christian community for things that benefit everyone who bears His image.

As Christians, we are called to live in a posture of faithful (loving) presence that is first and best seen in our unity with each other and our willingness to love our neighbor as ourselves. That undisputedly means those outside our faith. What better place to accentuate our unity in Christ than in Washington, a town where diversity is frequently indistinguishable from dissonance and discord?

This Sunday, many Christians will celebrate Pentecost, where believers of every tongue and tribe, and nation were in-dwelt by the singular Holy Spirit who proclaimed this event to everyone present in their own language. It is our "unity in diversity" that allows encourages us to work alongside different others in pursuing the common good.  In showing unity in Christ with each other, we offer foretastes of the coming Kingdom to everyone.

Including those outside your party.

Last Things

In case you missed it, we have some new episodes of The Faithful Podcast available, including a Master Class (Bootleg) of Dr. Timothy Keller on Reaching the Secular Man (on all major podcast fetchers) that was recorded during a presentation he made the a small group of church planters in 1995. You can find those and more under the Podcast section of our Content site.

The Presence Journal is coming in June and will feature several in depth articles, including one on our humanity and how the draw to over-functioning runs against God's created order.

The next edition of Presence Weekly will drop on Tuesday.

Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend.