Jeff Reimer’s essay, “How Not to Be Schismatic;” contains elements that I can identify with. Jeff lays out how the major branches of Christianity (Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox) perceive themselves in relation to each other and then describes his journey in trying to find out how best to fit within those three options – ultimately finding that his imperfect theology didn’t fit perfectly into any of the imperfect branches. The best he could locate himself would be “Protestant, though maybe a weird one.” In his last paragraph, he described himself as, “alert, muddling through the in-between, bearing in myself the wounds of division – casualty, perpetrator, and penitent.”
As we look at ourselves from an earthly point of view, we who proclaim Christ find ourselves to be wounded sinners in an assembly of wounded sinners. As we picture ourselves as the Bride of Christ, our garments, to us, seem to look soiled and torn by our divisive behavior, as we find ourselves unable to rally to the call for unity in the church.
But look at what the Lord says. In Jeremiah 18, while addressing Israel’s unfaithfulness and idolatry, the Lord refers to Israel as “Virgin Israel.” Then later in Jeremiah 31, the Lord promises that “Virgin Israel will be rebuilt. Surely then, we who are the Bride of Christ (Rev 21-22) can hold onto the image of who we shall be, the image that the Lord – the one who loves us – has of us.
Each of us may be casualty, perpetrator and penitent; but we are loved by our Creator. As much as we are able to receive that love, then we can love the other casualties, perpetrators and penitents – all equally loved by our Creator. All together we are the Big, Broken, Beautiful Bride of Christ.
While me may mourn our lack of unity, it may be that if we as wounded sinners did have a unified institution, that institution would become like that tower of Babel where out of our pride we would find ourselves unable to resist using that institution to make a name for ourselves instead of our Lord. Instead, we have the opportunity to consider the pride that divides us all as our weakness in which we can be strong in the Lord. Our disunity is an opportunity to hold onto our mysterious unity in the Lord instead trying to find a unity in some broken human ecumenical institution.
Let us rejoice in the Lord’s faithfulness to us.
The Virgin Bride
Despite the hearts you’ve broken
Despite the love you’ve turned away
He knows it comes from deep within the broken shattered lives and dreams
That started from days of Adam and still ripples through the years
Despite the pain you’ve given
Despite the hearts your pride has crushed
He knows it comes from depths of pain endured by former generations
For the sins of the earliest fathers still troubles hearts today
Despite the seekers you’ve repulsed
Despite you have shunned the work He’s begun
He knows it comes from hearts that long to cling to His eternal truth
Even though you have forgotten His love and continue to turn away
Despite the idols you’ve worshiped
Despite the distractions that have robbed your affections
He knows it comes from unfilled hearts that long for eternal love
And for peace within your troubled hearts and for joy in the midst of pain
The bridegroom who faithfully loves you
Who died your death for you
Has declared your purity which he has seen with His eternal eyes
For He Himself has cleansed you and miraculously made you whole
The bridegroom eagerly awaits
To show His finished tapestry
So we can marvel at the completed work he’s woven in our lives
And the fullness of His beauty will be revealed by His virgin bride
Transcendent Touched 