Mennonite Weekly Review

The U.S. government has become so polarized that politicians seem incapable of finding their way to constructive decisions.

Yutzy

The American people seem to have the same problem.

Sojourners magazine has been asking where one can find a model of civil discourse. At the very least, the church, where the indwelling Spirit of God can lead and guide, ought to exemplify this civility.

Perhaps the most attractive characteristic of the early church’s practices was that these followers of Jesus represented incredible ethnic diversity and yet lived with a sense of mutuality and equality.

Psalm 133:1 highlights this charisma. “How good and pleasant it is when the people of God live together in unity.” The early church was beginning to salt the earth by example and provided a tangible sense of community that honored the image of God in one another.

In 1 Corinthians 13, the apostle Paul describes a path of love that has become a cornerstone theme for weddings and anniversary celebrations. But that is not what Paul intended these words for. This beautiful prose comes in the context of a real church, with real problems and with real animosity toward one another.

Paul begins this passage in chapter 13 not with verse 1 but with the last verse of the previous chapter. He spends 12 chapters addressing the conflict and divisions in the church at Corinth. The church was losing its appeal and its faithful witness.

In the last verse of chapter 12 he writes, “And now I will show you the most excellent way.” It is also instructive to note that Paul concludes 1 Corinthians 13 not with the last verse of the chapter but with the first verse of chapter 14: “Follow the way of love.”

He implores the saints at Corinth to pursue the way of love with the same dedication and commitment of a runner stretching toward the finish line, with every muscle focused on the goal.

Building a united faith community takes diligence and practice. It must be grounded in why we run the race in the first place. It must grow from what it means to be a member of the body of Christ and to seek each other’s well being.