On Division

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend Mennonite Church Manitoba's annual general meeting. Our church conference has been having an ongoing disagreement over how we understand marriage and have been through a long process of discernment, argumentation, and study on the issue. This meeting was a huge encouragement as I witnessed church leaders who deeply disagree with each other on a host of issues surrounding the issue of marriage and sexuality extend deep grace and hope for continued peaceful worship together. My congregation issued a statement that attempted to be as gracious in its assertions as it could be and was responded to by leaders from other congregations with open hands and open hearts in spite of our deep disagreements. This image of peace-through-disagreement is exactly the kind institution the church has always and will always be. Our unity in Christ is not based on uniformity, but on our willingness to keep Christ at the center, even as we have deep disagreements on how that will be lived out.

Today I was reading Stephen Fowl's little book, Theological Interpretation of Scripture in which he contributes a remarkably relevant insight:
All church division is fundamentally a failure of love. All division proceeds from believers assuming that they are better off apart from each other than together. Division is a contradiction of ecclesial love, especially love of our enemies within Christ's body. Doctrinal or scriptural differences cannot divide the church unless there is this prior failure of love. Further, scriptural interpretation cannot lead Christians into sin unless there is this prior failure of love.
As Mennonite Church Manitoba moves forward in its life and ministry together, I pray that our commitment to love our neighbours and enemies will prove to be the most determinative force in our collective interpretation of Scripture. May the congregations of Mennonite Church Manitoba continue to understand that they are better off together than apart.

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