![]() At that time, the Lord’s Supper was a time to feed both their bodies and their souls. They gorged on food while excluding the have nots, consequently engaging in what the Apostle Paul describes as “partaking of communion in an unworthy manner.” The haves, those with means, divided the church with their bias to take care of themselves first by partaking in the meal of communion with decadence. 11:17-34, a division arises rooted in socioeconomic divides between the haves and the have nots. Let’s talk about Love & Unity as it relates to classĪlthough the early church in Acts 2:45 started with a bias towards socioeconomic equity and unity, we see a later departure. “Standing with the woman who had been caught in the sin of adultery did not mean that Jesus affirmed adultery, but it does mean he affirmed the divine glory the woman possessed as an image-bearer.” OlaDele OkuwobiĪfter the events of George Floyd and Amy Cooper in 2020, pastors Dele & Oneya Okuwobi teach on the long extended road toward Love & Unity. From having Mary sit at his feet as a disciple to having women become the first preachers of the gospel, women were affirmed and respected in Jesus’ ministry in ways that unapologetically went beyond the cultural prerogatives of the time. We see this again and again in his dealings with women. Jesus forcefully advanced the Kingdom principle of Love & Unity to combat bias. ![]() Furthermore, he took a stand against this mob who brought the woman out alone, as though she were the only guilty party. ![]() Standing with the woman who had been caught in the sin of adultery clearly did not mean that Jesus affirmed adultery, but it does mean he affirmed the divine glory the woman possessed as an image-bearer. For example, he spoke out and acted against male religious leaders to stop a woman from being stoned to death. In many New Testament encounters, Jesus acted on the principle of Love & Unity. Let’s talk about Love & Unity as it relates to gender His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. By setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations.Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one- I in them and you in me-so that they may be brought to complete unity. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.In this way, we believe we can see what Jesus prayed for in John 17: Love & Unity forcefully advances Kingdom ideals into the heart of the 21st Century Church with grit, resolve, and vigor in order to envision what Ephesians describe as One New Humanity. ![]() Love & Unity is inclusive in that we frequently name race, class, and gender, but wherever the image of God in people is marred by bias, Love & Unity has a place in speaking out and acting against it. Bias includes personal (conscious and implicit) and systemic bias (systemic bias can be defined as inequity within health, educational, governmental, judicial, legal, religious, political, financial, media, or cultural institutions towards individuals of an oppressed or marginalized group). By Love & Unity, we mean that we will actively combat any form of bias that seeks to position one person or group above another. It’s a mandate with merit and probably the most Christ-like vision your church or any church start-up can pursue. “Attempts to be a multiethnic church often exclude gender and other forms of bias that equally demean the image of God in God’s people.”Īt first glance, Love & Unity may sound soft, but trust me, it is not. Further, attempts to be a multiethnic church often exclude gender and other forms of bias that equally demean the image of God in God’s people. ![]() Until you focus on Love & Unity, there is no guarantee that the different ethnic, cultural, and racial groups gathered will show self-sacrificial love for each other or display unity as one Body of Christ. However, if you strive for those things, you may get that, and only that. Churches that are multiethnic, multicultural, or multiracial are biblical and good. In the years since that night, we’ve come to more fully understand and appreciate that message. Thankfully there was more to the message: “I’ve called you to Love & Unity.” After my wife and I had been involved in multiethnic churches for over ten years, we felt a distinct impression from the Holy Spirit during prayer, “I didn’t call you to multiethnic.” Momentary panic set in as we grappled with the potential of wasted years. ![]()
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