THE CHURCH,
A LIGHT TO THE NATIONSI pray that they may all be one... May they be one so that the world will believe that you sent me. (John 17:21}
We have accepted a covenant with those who call themselves Christians. Yet they have forgotten part of what they had been told; so we stirred up hostility and hatred among them until the day of resurrection, when God will make clear to them what they are doing. (Qur'ân 5:14}
The scandal of disunity
Most Nigerian Christians seem to have no idea of the scandal that Christian division poses for non-Christians. With new churches springing up every day, they say "The more the merrier."
To justify the situation, some say that the Church of Christ is one, but manifested in a great variety of forms, each of which is an authentic, integral and legitimate representation of the Church universal.
Such answers camouflage some serious doctrinal differences. And even among churches which hold the same doctrines, there is rivalry and competition for members.
Doctrinal differences cannot simply be wished away or ignored out of politeness. They hang in the background like a Berlin wall preventing unity. Dialogue commissions of theologians should face these differences head on and try to resolve them. This is being done on an international level, but international commissions will be fruitless if nothing takes place on the local level.
Once doctrinal issues are settled, the question of legitimate diversity can be addressed, and allowance made for a variety of styles of worship and church organization.
The factor of human competition is no less a serious problem. Money is a chief reason for the split of churches or the rise of new ones.
Rather than the imaginary ideal of a panoply of churches each manifesting a different charism within the Church universal, in reality we have a house divided against itself. A grave danger and scandal? Yes, indeed! But most Christians seem unaware of it and take no notice of the numerous Biblical exhortations to Christian unity. Until they are shaken from their slumber by good preaching or by some disaster, nothing will be done to put the house in order.
The promise of indefectibility
Despite this somber situation, there is a certain degree of unity, agreement and love among Christians. They all uphold Baptism in the name of the Trinity, the Bible, the Nicene Creed and other practices that bind them together. In practice we find a considerable amount of cooperation.
No doubt this is a partial fulfilment of Jesus' promise, "I will be with you always, to the end of time" (Mt 28:20). This promise of the indefectibility of the Church means that, however much evil we meet in the Church, we should always expect to find some Christians "who stood by me in my trials" (Lk 22:28). And however much heresy and distortion of the Gospel we meet, we should expect to find some sections of the Church that faithfully hold onto Jesus' integral message.
As the body of Christ, who is the light of the world (Jn 8:12), the Church is a sign to the nations or peoples that are not yet part of it. The universal mission of the Church harkens back to Isaiah:
Arise, shine out, for your light has come, and the glory of Yahweh has risen on you... The nations will come to your light and kings to your dawning brightness. (60:1-2; cf. 62:1-2}
Jesus did not hesitate to address his disciples as "light for the world" (Mt 5:14). The vocation of Christians and the Church is to absorb and then reflect the glory of the Lord, "being transformed into the image that we reflect in brighter and brighter glory" (2 Cor 3:18). Naturally, this light should shine to the world for all to see.
This light will always shine by the lives of Christians, and at appropriate times by words. But words are not always direct and explicit preaching. Jesus always spoke in parables to those who were not familiar with him. Only gradually did he introduce them to the mysteries of the faith.
Similarly the Church, with its human limitations, continues to proclaim the message of Christ in ways that can best be understood by non-Christians. It is more explicit on social matters, where it is often the "voice of the voiceless" and the only voice that is heard in circumstances of repression. As a result, Church leaders are listened to, and the Church has a greater moral authority in today's world than it ever had in past centuries under state patronage. And this influence comes mainly from prophetic voices without financial or political back-up, often from people who simply live and work with non-Christians, showing integrity of life, dedication and love for others.
The task is not easy. There is open persecution of the Church in some places, crippling restrictions in others, and disparaging indifference elsewhere. But there are some who welcome the Gospel lived in their midst, and at their own pace begin to embrace it.
Conclusion
The paradox is that the light of Christ continues to shine through the Church in spite of its division not only into multiple denominations but also into factions within denominations, together with lack of cooperation and sharing among different sectors of a Church, and frequent scandals.
How much more could we expect if Christians were more united, or "perfected in unity" (Jn 17:23)?