Unity...No?

I did something this morning that I don’t do very often.  I read the forward of the New Testament in Modern English, translated by J. B. Phillips.  Phillips, an Englishman, lived in the first and middle part of the 20^th century.  He was an author, translator, and clergyman, having written over a dozen books in addition to the translation of the New Testament that bears his name.

I like the Phillips translation for its readability and the knack it has for seeing through what many times is an unintelligible or very stilted Greek translation, making it much more understandable to the modern day reader.  Although he completed his work in the late 1950’s, his translation is as fresh today as it was over 50 years ago.

The final paragraph to the forward talks about his being indebted to all kinds of people, and his having developed a gratitude that is, in large part, “…evoked by the assurance that has grown within me that here in the New Testament, at the very heart and core of our Faith, Christians are far more at one than their outward divisions would imply.  From this unquestionable evidence of fundamental unity I derive not only great comfort, but a great hope for the future.”

I’m not certain what you think about unity, denominationalism, the fellowship of believers, Christendom, and all that goes with these topics, but here is a man who, rather than being upset over differing opinions, division and strife, instead sees in the New Testament a unity among believers that goes far beyond the outward appearances.

Sometimes I wonder if we Christians in this modern day are more pessimists than we are optimistic.  I wonder if we tend to see things on the half-empty side much more than on the half-full side.  And I wonder if it may just be human nature to do so.

Just look at the news.  It is well known that news that is bad or controversial is a much better “sell” than the good news.  Yes, sometimes they’ll put a good news piece in the mixture, but by and large we hear about murders, car wrecks, bad snowstorms, and fighting among politicians much more than we hear stories about people helping people, the beauty of nature or some other good news.

How would it change us if we consciously began to see the good…to look specifically for areas of agreement and fellowship?  How would we begin to act if we tried consciously to fill our minds with those things that are good and right and noble about other people, rather than accent our differences and argue with those who don’t agree with us?  How much more could we accomplish working with God toward the redemption of the fallen creation if we quit spending so much time differentiating ourselves from everyone else and began to work together to mitigate such things as child abuse, sexual trafficking, pornography, dysfunctional families, hunger, and poverty?

I’ll leave you with the words of J. B. Phillips as he translates Philippians 4:8.  “Here is a last piece of advice.  If you believe in goodness and if you value the approval of God, fix your minds on whatever is true and honourable and just and pure and lovely and praiseworthy.  Model your conduct on what you have learned from me, on what I have told you and shown you, and you will find that the God of peace will be with you.”