Dear Christian friends:

I'm sure I don't need to remind you of the fact that we are living in an age when controversy, conflict, rebellion and violence are the order of the day. And as most of you know this is not only true of our society in general it is also true of our churches. Most protestant churches today are being shaken to their very foundations by bitter factional in-fightings. A vigorous, angry conservative rebellion is challenging the liberals who have largely dominated the protestant churches of America since the 1920's. And as most of you know our own Synod has not escaped this bitter factional warfare.

I think most people today have forgotten two things which are very basic and no doubt the reason for the bitterness and violence. First, that controversy in itself is not bad. It can be a very healthful and a helpful thing to any society or church. It is bound to happen, it should happen and if properly carried on and directed it can be very beneficial. Secondly, we have largely forgotten that while we may have many differences, we have something great and strong that unites us all - we are brothers. As far as society and the world goes Scripture asks: "Have we not all one Father? Hath not one God created us?" As far as the church goes the Bible plainly states: "Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." If we would keep this in mind our controversies could be constructive rather than destructive as they have been in these present and recent years.

In our text St. Paul reminds the Church about its great basic unity or oneness in Christ. He talks about

I. What it is.

II. How we may preserve and promote it, and

III. Why we ought to

What is the unity of the Spirit? Does it mean that we've all got to have the same thoughts and the same doctrine and practice in everything the same ritual or orders of worship, the same hymnal, the same text books and the same architecture in our church buildings? Does it mean that we've all got to have the same emphasis and expression in our works of charity and love and in our methods of evangelism and missions? Certainly not. Our churches would be better off if they had more variety and varying emphasis in many of these areas. Then they wouldn't be so dead, so dry and so stagnant.

Well, if the unity of the Spirit isn't in these areas, what is it? It is the unity worked in our hearts by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He has taught us that God is our Father through Jesus Christ our Savior, and that we are all brothers and sisters on with another regardless of age, place, race or denominational label. It is the unity of the Holy Christian and apostolic Church or as some call it "the invisible church." It is not the disunity of our institutional visible churches or denominations. It is love and respect which Christ has given us for Him, for ourselves and for our Christian brothers and sisters. And this love and respect we will hold them in regardless of the fact that they may be different from us in many ways. They may interpret some sections or verses of the Bible differently, they may be of another race or country; they may have a different social status; they may be different in their mores and culture. But if they believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world we love them and respect them and we say "God bless you, brother!"

This precious unity worked by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel can be destroyed by us if we are not careful; if we let our proud sinful flesh lead us rather than the Holy Spirit. So St. Paul here urges us to work hard to promote and preserve this precious Christian unity and tells us how to preserve it.

"I urge you to live as people whom God has called should live. Be humble and gentle in every way; be patient, and lovingly bear with one another. Do your best to keep the (unity), oneness of the Spirit by living together in peace." Don't proudly presume that you know everything about the Bible and that nobody else can teach you a thing. This holds true of us as individual Christians and as denomination of Christendom. We should not be so proud and self-righteous that we will not sit down and listen to another Christian's idea or interpretation of a Bible section or verse. Even after we've listened to him and still think he is wrong in his understanding, we will be humble and gentle and kind to him. We will still respect him as a person and call him our Christian brother. Chances are, if you listen to him and respect him, he will do the same for you. And even if he doesn't you shouldn't get upset with him. "Be patient, lovingly bear with one another." St. Paul says, Be patient, who knows? Eventually he may even show you the light.

Getting angry, name calling, running off and starting a new sect or denomination isn't the way to preserve and promote the unity of the Spirit. Sad to say some have already done this and others are planning to do this. They need our prayers and our patience. And we must be careful so that we don't despise them for it. But let us be on our guard and remember that they are still Christian brothers. Let us extend the hand of fellowship in so far as they will allow us. Who knows? After a while they may have second thoughts and may even come back, providing we leave the door open.

This we've got to strive for. It's so childish, so immature and petty if we don't. We only show what babies in the faith we really are if we don't work to promote and preserve the unity of the Spirit. Of this Paul reminds us in the last verses of our text. He says after all we Christians are "one body and one Spirit-even as you have been called to share one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over us all, works through us all and lives in us all."

We have so many great and precious things which unite us Christians about which we all do agree without a question.

What Christian is there that doubts we are all the body of Christ?

Who in Christendom denies the great person and work of the Holy Spirit?

Who in all the Christian Churches of the world says there is no heaven?

Who would deny that we all have one Lord and Savior?

Who doesn't believe in Holy Baptism?

We all have on God and Father who rules over us all and lives in us.

Such is our tremendous agreement and these are the really important and basic doctrines of the apostolic Christian Church. The few little doctrines and practices upon which there is disagreement or controversy are insignificant when compared to these great things Paul lists here upon which we do agree, indeed, must agree or we are no Christians. It is silly and scandalous for us to withdraw the hand of fellowship to any Christian person or denomination. By doing so we contradict the aforementioned precious agreement and unity; We give offense to fellow beloved Christians and we make the Christian Church appear odious and ridiculous in the eyes of the unbelieving world. The one thing that attracted the heathen to the early Christians was their sincere love and respect for one another and their visible demonstrations of unity and fellowship. "See how they love one another" was the amazed reaction of the masses.

May God have mercy on us and forgive us our lovelessness; our divisions and offenses and enable us to really love one another.

Amen