A few years back Paul Yongi Cho, pastor of the largest church in the world spoke to God, "I will go anywhere to preach the gospel except Japan." He hated the Japanese because of what they had done to the Korean people during World War 11.
You guessed it; God eventually called Cho to preach in Japan. He went, but he went with bitterness. His first speaking engagement was to a pastor's conference of a thousand Japanese pastors. Cho stood up to speak, and the only words that came out were: "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. "And then he broke and wept.
At first one, then two, then all thousand pastors walked up to Yongi Cho, knelt at his feet, and asked forgiveness for what they and their people had done to him and his people. As this went on, God changed Cho until a single message filled his heart and mouth: "I love you. I love you. I love you." (from Mark Buchan, Your God Is Too Safe: Rediscovering the Wonder of a God you can't control)
With God all things are possible. Even political differences, often a real part of church disunity, can melt away. There is so much to celebrate in the ecumenical progress of today's world.
At the Western Canadian Stewardship Conference in Prince Albert this June Bishop Don Bolen of Saskatoon spoke about all that unites Christian churches. For example, one evangelical spokesperson said they could accept 75 % of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Anglican Church is even closer to unity with the Catholics.
Common prayer, common witness, common dialogue and the struggle for Social Justice unite us all like never before. Bolen went on to say that church unity represents a mutual exchange of gifts and strengths. The Spirit works differently in us and we are given gifts to share in common.
Recently in my home town of Canora, Saskatchewan, the ministerial association in cooperation with the Town erected a huge sign listing all the churches in Canora along with a map that locates them for visitors. What a wonderful inter-faith gesture!
I have worked with the Canora Ministerial Association for a number of years and am amazed at the gifts of the Spirit we share as brothers and sisters in Christ. One is stronger in youth ministry; one is more evangelical, and another has a deeper bible tradition. Some celebrate the Eucharist and some have a richer Marian tradition (the role of Mary).
We have much to learn from each other, and it is a wonderful experience to celebrate together on several occasions during the year: Canora in Bloom Service, Remembrance Day Service, World Day of Prayer, Ecumenical week services and June Grad Church Service.
In God's good time we look forward to the day when "they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me" (John 17:21).
