Matt Bussell, Associate Pastor for Outreach and Mission
In Christ there is no east or west,
in him no south or north,
but one great fellowship of love
throughout the whole wide earth.
– Hymn 317, In Christ There Is No East or West
“… for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” – Galatians 3:26-28
Today is another day of highly charged political division in the life of our nation. As we celebrate the peaceful transfer of power from one president to another, the rhetoric of the election campaigns continues to divide us and the wounds inflicted continue to fester. President Trump takes office as the nation is more fractured than united. Today we also celebrate the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who also lived in a period of national division while preaching a gospel of peace, unity, and love. We remember today that King’s preaching of this gospel was silenced through violence and hate.
What are we to make of today’s events as the community of faith and the body of Christ? When I struggle to make sense of what is going on and what our calling is in this time and space, I often turn to Scripture and the music of the church. Scripture articulates God’s vision for the world and the church’s music offers a creative and poetic lens through which to view both Scripture and the world.
Today I find myself drawn to Paul’s letter to the Galatians in which he proclaims: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” Paul lived and wrote in a world in which relationships were defined by differences in gender, nation, language, race, religion, and income. Certain groups had the privilege of power and belonging, while everyone else was considered an outsider. But Paul’s message to the church is that despite all our differences, we are one in Christ. Imagine if Paul wrote to the American church today and said: There is no longer Democrat or Republican, there is no longer rich and poor and middle class, there is no longer Black and white, Hispanic and Asian and Native American, there is no longer American or Mexican or Chinese, there is no longer gay and straight, cis and trans, for you are all one in Christ. I imagine many of us would take a deep breath or do a small shake of our heads as we said something to the effect of, “that is the ideal, but not our current reality.” Amidst our brokenness and division, Paul offers us a vision of a different reality; a vision which calls us to join in God’s work of transforming our reality.
For Paul, this unity which overcomes our divisions is not rooted in allegiance to particular worldly leaders; our divisions are not overcome by being united behind President Biden or President Trump, but by being united in Jesus Christ. For many Americans, our foundational identities have become intertwined with our political allegiances, but Paul reminds us that we are rooted in God. We are first and foremost God’s beloved children created in God’s image. Through Jesus Christ, we are adopted into the divine family. All other aspects of our identity are subordinate to this foundational identity in God.
The opening hymn we sang in worship yesterday, “In Christ There Is No East or West” continues to ring in my ears today, reminding me of this shared foundation identity. As the world continues to feel fractured and divided, may we be reminded:
In Christ there is no east or west,
in him no south or north,
but one great fellowship of love
throughout the whole wide earth.
May we continue to be one great fellowship of love here at First Presbyterian Church, in Greensboro, in North Carolina, in the United States of America, and throughout the world.
