The Reason for Cohesion

Over at his blog World of Your Making, the Rev. Rick Lord has just finished his on the spot reports from a Compass Rose Society trip to England and Italy. During the reports he tells most recently, of Pope Benedict XVI speaking of Saints Simon and Jude,

"They came from very different backgrounds," he said, and by choosing them "Jesus demonstrated that he calls his followers from the most far-ranging social and religious groups." The bonds of their faith run deeper than their differences. "It was Jesus himself who was the reason for their cohesion," said the Pope.

Earlier in the trip he wrote of the group visiting with Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams who gave the analogy of a funeral saying,

"People are there," said Rowan, "because they love the same person." At funerals, people lay down their grievances long enough to gather in solidarity with each other for love of the one they have known and see no longer. In a similar way, Anglicans may not be able to find institutional unity, but hopefully, we remain in communion because we too, love the same person. We love the risen Christ.

Six days apart and with no knowledge of what the other was saying, the two Christian leaders pointed to what makes us One as Christians—we are one because we worship the one Lord. This doesn't mean we always act like one or evryone who is part of that one realizes the fact that we are united. However, that unity is there just the same. The trick is to live into that oneness we share.

In the archives is the sermon So the World May Know.

peace,
Frank+
The Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor + King of Peace Episcopal Church