Jay reflected on the question of what does it mean to be good neighbors in our relationships with Christians beyond the Presbyterian Church (USA) and with neighbors of different faith traditions. Many Christians most commonly celebrate Epiphany as the visitation of the Magi to the infant Jesus. Some Christians focus more on the Baptism of the adult Jesus. Both focus on the revelation of God in Jesus Christ.
I’ve been thinking about the implications that the first people to pay homage to Jesus were not of the faith tradition of the family or community into which he was born. How are we open to receive God’s message to us from those who come to us across great geographical and theological distances? Our dialogue, work and relationship with other Christians will often strengthen our understanding of what it means to be Presbyterian. Our dialogue, work and relationships with persons of other faith traditions will often reveal to us what we value most as Christians. The gifts that are shared will often point to God’s movement beyond our present reality.
The theme of this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (January 18 – 25) is “You Are Witnesses of These Things.” It is a theme rooted in the Lucan Great Commission (Luke 24: 46 – 49). In the incomprehensible reality of the resurrection, Jesus tells the expanded community of women and men who encountered the Resurrected Christ that they will be witnesses to the proclamation of his suffering and ultimate victory over oppression and death. As a foreshadowing of the message given to the gathered community who witnessed his Ascension, they are told that their work will be for the benefit of the world. They will witness not only to God’s liberating work in Jesus Christ through the incarnation, teaching, crucifixion and resurrection, they will also be witnesses to the work of repentance and forgiveness of sin--key components in the work of reconciliation and building the beloved community. Resources for celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity may be found at http://geii.org/wpcu_index.htm
Next week, I will attend a Colloquium on the Accra and Belhar Confessions at Stony Point Conference Center. Both confessions seek to address fundamental issues that deny the liberating Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Belhar Confession is written in the context of apartheid South Africa and addresses theological heresies that undergird racism and divides both church and society. The Accra Confession addresses the economic and ecological injustices and devastation of the current global economy. Both confessions call us to repentance for our complicity in systems that devalue and destroy our neighbors and the world. Both confessions call us to action in proclaiming and building the beloved community of Christ. In coming days, I hope to share with you lessons that emerge from this colloquium. Until, then, a study guide for North American churches on the Accra Confession may be found at http://www.pcusa.org/trade/accra.htmand information on the Belhar Confession may be found at http://www.pcusa.org/racialjustice/belhar.htm.
May we be open to the gifts of our neighbors near and far and may we offer the best of who we are to our neighbors and to God.
Robina
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