The Power of Unity in a Divided World – October 5, World Communion Sunday

Psalm 116:1-13, Ephesians 4:1-16
October 5, 2025, World Communion Sunday

As I said last week, I’ve been giving you some “contrasts” lately.  They’ve been contrasts between our faith and the ways of the world.  First, it was, “God’s plan for leadership – in a world consumed with power.”  Then, it was, “Finding the peace of God – in a troubled world.”  And then last week it was, “The power of humility – in a self-centered world.”

Well, this occasion today – World Communion Sunday – lends itself to another such “contrast.”  This is one that I’m calling, “The Power of Unity – in a Divided World.”

And frankly, this is one of great sadness for me!  We live in a terribly divided world!  Countries are divided and at war with each other.  Cultures are divided even within countries.  Politics in this country is hugely divisive!  I’ve seen it divide families, friends, churches, and longtime relationships. I’ve seen too many people letting their lives and relationships be ruined by those negative emotions I talked about a couple of weeks ago.

The division in this world is so sad to me, because we live in a world with a great variety of people!  Think about all of the people celebrating this sacrament today – even as we speak!  Think about all of the languages and cultures and traditions.  Think about the Asians, the Africans, the Middle Easterners, the Eastern Europeans, the Western Europeans, the Canadians, the South Americans.  Think about the different denominations, the Catholics, the Eastern Orthodox, the Coptic church in Egypt, the Lutherans, the Episcopalians, the Baptists and the Anglicans.  And we could go on and on.

When I think about all of that, I think of this as a great day of Christian Unity.  But sadly, it is set against a world of great division and conflict.  And I believe, now more than ever, that the Church around the world – in all those cultures and languages and traditions – needs to stand for Unity.  The Church needs to stand up and declare once again, “For God so loved the world!”

The problem is that people in our world don’t understand unity. Too many people think unity means that everybody believes the same thing and everybody agrees.  That’s not unity.  Unity is not one side winning out, or converting everybody to one way of thinking.  Unity is loving, and respecting one another even when you don’t agree!  Unity means that not every disagreement is a battle to be won!  And not every person with a different view has to be vilified!

I heard a great quote this week.  And yes, I think my phone does listen to me!  And it knows what I’m thinking and talking about!  And it’s probably seeing what I’m writing on my computer!  Because this quote came up in the middle of all this.  It’s a quote by Rick Warren, author of the book called “A Purpose Driven Life.”  Maybe you remember him?

Well, Warren said this.  “Our culture has accepted two lies.  The first is that if you disagree with someone’s [point of view or] lifestyle, you must [therefore] fear or hate them.  The second is that to love someone means that you agree with everything they believe or do.  Both are nonsense.  You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.”  In other words, you can still believe what you believe, and yet love someone who doesn’t.

Now, you may not agree with Rick Warren – or his statements.  Some people do not.  They didn’t agree with Charlie Kirk.  But, when disagreements with a person turn to hate of that person, that the divide in our world deepens!

The problem in our world is that people often make it about those things.  If you don’t agree with them, they accuse you of fear and hatred.  The world adds the suffix “phobic” to far too many words!  Too many people, who don’t agree with someone, let those negative emotions grow within them until it turns to hatred.  And then, sadly, more and more, that hatred turns to violence.  And that is so sad to me, I almost don’t know what to say!

The Church has a huge task in our world today.  And I mean the Church around the world, all who are celebrating this sacrament today.  The Church needs to stand against that division.  The Church needs to promote unity.  It needs to demonstrate that unity.  The Church needs to show the world that it’s possible to have unity, even when people don’t agree!

That’s what Paul calls for here.  That’s what he told the Ephesians.  I talked about his “calling” last week in my sermon on humility.  I read, from this passage, that our calling is “Lowliness, meekness, patience, forbearing one another in love.”  And I would add to that this week, this next phrase.  Paul says we are to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  Friends, I am eager for that!  I feel that calling!  And I hope you do, too.

This is one of the reasons I’m glad to be Presbyterian!  As you’ve heard me quote before, two of our founding principles are, “God alone is Lord of the conscience.”  And “People of good conscience can differ.”  That’s what the Presbyterian church was founded on.  So we, of all people, need to model the very thing Paul is saying here.  When we differ, we still love!

We are called to do that in the world, too.  We are called to love the world that God so loved.  And like his love, our love is not to be contingent on whether or not the person we love agrees with us, or is like us, or even loves us!  We Christians, of all people, know what that love is like!  Because it is at the core of our beliefs.  Paul told the Romans, “God showed his love for us in that, it was while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)  Whenever we’re having a hard time loving someone else, for whatever reason, we can go back to that verse, and think about how hard it was for God to love us!  Then we should try that hard to love someone else!  And sometimes it’s not easy!

We need to demonstrate God’s love on this great day of Christian unity!  This is the day we need to know for certain that “There is one body and one spirit, just as we were called to the one hope that belongs to our call.  There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of us all, who is above all and through all in in all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6)

We break this bread and raise this cup as one body and one Spirit – all around the world!  Be proud of that today!  Pray for the Church Universal  Know that your faith makes a difference.  Know that your faith makes you different!

Prayer

Eternal God, as we prepare our hearts for this sacrament today, help us to be aware of that “Great cloud of witnesses,” all around the world you so loved.  Help us to know and remember your love for us, as we seek to love the world.  May we be witnesses to your Grace and mercy in every way we live our lives.  For this we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.