April 25, 2008
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Last week I joined with about 200 other Christian leaders from across the United States to have prayer with Pope Benedict XVI. It’s tempting to say that “everyone” was there.
In fact, just about every stripe of Christian in the United States was represented. Just in front of me sat Pat Robertson. Next to me sat a Pentecostal bishop, and on the other side was the dean of an Orthodox seminary. Two rows up (on the front row) was Rev. John Thomas of the United Church of Christ and across the aisle from me was Rev. James Forbes. There were Missouri Synod Lutherans, Mormons, Evangelicals and Mainline Protestants. There were bishops dressed in purple, Orthodox hierarchs dressed in their ancient garb, and Protestant leaders in business suits and dresses.
All there because the Pope had invited us. Most, I am sure, had changed busy schedules to be there. (Thanks to the North Carolina Region for their flexibility in changing my keynote to a different night of their regional assembly.) Perhaps the president of the United States could have commanded such a crowd, but he’s the only one. It was impressive to see the range of traditions represented by the people who accepted the Pope’s invitation to pray together.
I was struck by his simplicity, by his air of sincerity. He was quiet – maybe tired after his morning at the United Nations. He spoke of the importance of our Christian witness in a time of globalization, a time which can either draw us together as a global community or drive us more deeply into individualism and fragmentation. The theme of the service, Christ our Hope, was the dominant note of his message.
Some commentators have noted that Pope Benedict XVI chose, on this visit, not to address large challenges. No big word on the war in Iraq. No “in your face” admonishing of American Catholics to change their ways. Instead on this visit, the Pope chose to draw us in. (In fact, one of the hymns we sang was “Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether.”) Instead of emphasizing differences, he seemed to be looking for common ground.
Maybe this was exactly what we needed.
Daily life is an experience of fragmentation for so many. Low-income seniors fight through a tangle of regulation to have access to medication. Single parents struggle to provide resources for their families in a tightening economy. Suburban families are broken by the demands of family and dual careers. Military families await word on loved ones as we surpass the 4,000th American death in Iraq. Daily our world is segmented, segregated, and fractured. And yet, like a bulb bursting forth into a flower announcing life over dismal winter, Pope Benedict brought this gentle reminder that as a people of faith, we live in hope.
We’ll have to be careful that we don’t leave it with the Pope’s reminder, however. As important as his words are, it’s our witness that finally matters most.
We in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) don’t have a Pope who can speak for all of us. We even question our own democratic processes of gathering representatives of every congregation together and voting on a word to the church from the church. That means that every one of us has to take responsibility for making the gospel real in our lives and giving witness to the people around us. It means we can’t wait for someone else to be or share the gospel for us. Each one of us is responsible for making real the life-giving call of Christ to reconciliation and wholeness in our context.
Our new identity statement says, “We are Disciples of Christ, a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.” It’s time for us to live the call for unity and one-ness that has always been part of the historic Disciples plea and challenge ourselves to faithfully move forward. Our identity statement continues: “As part of the one Body of Christ, we welcome all to the Lord’s Table as God has welcomed us.”
The Pope’s call to the Christian community to give witness to the hope that is within us was right on cue. It’s time for each one of us to take up our part.
Sharon E. Watkins
General Minister and President
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)