Christian Unity

Daily Byte

This week's BDC is written by Bonnie Scott

In South Africa, host country of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, an eerie silence hangs over cities and towns. The constant background noise of the buzzing vuvuzelas has ceased. The 2010 World Cup has officially come to an end. For those who have been glued to the televised matches and reveling in all the festivities, the end comes as a let-down. But for others, the end of the World Cup marks a welcomed return back to “normal life.” As the excitement begins to taper off, the holidays end, and tourists pack their bags, South Africans can unglue themselves from the television screens — or at least turn their attention to rugby season.

But will things go back to normal? Or has the World Cup brought about some permanent change in the country and the people who experienced it?

As a foreigner living in South Africa for the past two months, I have witnessed the incredible impact of the World Cup on the country. South Africans have unified in supporting their home team, Bafana Bafana, heading out to the fan park in droves, clad with yellow and green. People from all different backgrounds and walks of life attended games at the fan parks, singing the same songs, cheering the same cheers, throwing high-fives to strangers. Further, South Africans have worked tirelessly and cooperatively in hosting this grand event. Many people pitched in to clean up the cities, secure the safety of visitors, and welcome teams and tourists from all over the world.

As the World Cup has shown, sports like soccer can be a remarkable force of unity. People often come together under the banner or flag of a sports team because they share a common goal and sometimes a common enemy.

But as Christians, we believe that something far greater than sports can bring unity to diverse people. Jesus Christ broke down the barriers and the dividing walls between us, creating in himself “one new humanity!” Language, race, gender, or sexual orientation, are no longer dividing factors, for we are all made “one” in Christ. Christ has adopted us, made us children of God and brothers and sisters of one another. These family ties far exceed the ties to our biological families, our nation-states, or our favourite soccer team. These ties outlast the end of the World Cup and even this life, extending beyond death into God’s new creation.

In baptism we are given a new identity — children of God. We are not united by a common enemy or rival, but by the love of Christ which forms our shared identity and our common mission. But have we allowed our baptism to change us permanently? While Christ seeks to make all his children into one family, we often resist this call to unity and treat other people as if they are ultimately different or “other” from us. When you look at another person, do you see a brother or sister?

Prayer

Gracious God, thank you for breaking down the dividing walls between us and for creating one new humanity! Teach us how to live as one unified people, accepting and celebrating our diversity. Bind us together in the spirit of your love and generosity to the world. Amen.

Scripture

1 Cor. 12:12-13
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

Eph. 2:13-18
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father.