September 20, 2003

To the Atlanta Journal & Constitution, for the "Faith & Values" section.

Unification of the Christian Communion

The ultimate practical obligation of every follower of the Christ is the cultivation of the three loves: God absolutely, neighbor as self, fellow Christian more than self. Some Christians, not all, seek to love God absolutely by discovering here and there what they consider to be His laws. Others do not. These two different Christians are mentioned in Romans 14 and are called the weak-in-faith and the strong-in-faith, respectively. At the same time all Christians, weak or strong, are warned, consistent with the third great love, to avoid flaunting their bickerable knowledge over the other, and above all to talk and act in a way that promotes the Spirit of the three loves (the Holy Spirit). Each is told that Christ will be the only judge, that he knows the conscience, that he will judge infallibly, and that no Christian in good conscience need ever fear, whether one seeks to exemplify the Holy Spirit by also honoring the laws of God, or whether one seeks this exemplification without reference to any preceding laws at all.

Here now is the key to Christian unity. There are two great congregations, authorized by Acts 15, and they relate to each other like the left and right hands. In the same way that the two hands are each alone a perfect example of what a hand is, these two great congregations can each alone, on its own, exemplify the Christian Church. But even as the left and right hands are different and cannot wear the same glove, these two congregations are different, and one wears a glove of laws which is simply not fitted for the other.

I propose that the weak-in-faith be dubbed the Servants of God and the strong-in-faith be called the Friends of God. These should be technical terms and interchangeable with the originals. But I think they are more respectful. The Servants are also friends of Christ and the Friends are also servants of God.

There we have it. A single communion table with Christians then afterwards dividing into their two congregations. Away from the communion table each is authorized to convince the other concerning what, if even anything, is a law of God. In terms of evangelism, however, a special rule must be adhered to. The potential convert is to understand up front that there are two legitimate congregations between which he will choose. After that the evangelist is authorized to pitch the Christian message in terms of his or her own respective congregation. In other words, there are two paths on the single way, both leading to Christ, and each Christian will choose for law or for freedom from law.

The Servants of God should seek to think of the Friends of God as somewhat simpleminded, perhaps, and should perhaps pity the Friends for their incapacity to recognize the clear laws of God. The Friends of God, when the Servants are alone, might charitably be liken to Don Quixote, a very morally intending man who simply could not get things straight. The Friends, for their part and when alone, will express sorrow at the weakness and potential fear of the Servants, as though God might not love them if they did not obey all the laws they have discovered. But since the supreme practical allegiance for both Servants and Friends is the three loves, they can always sup together and share their food and join in praising God for the gift of His incredible son. For at the end of the day both must adhere to Romans 14.

Philip McPherson Rudisill