Oneness

A meditation on the Words of Counsel given to Community of Christ at the 2013 World Conference

What does it mean to be one? 

How can we/I be part of the divine oneness? 

In a sense we are already, part of the sacred community that is God,

and yet we do not recognize our oneness.

Or said differently, perhaps we do not really believe we are one in God.

We can only be one in the spirit of love, grace and generosity,

but we look at each other guardedly through eyes of division, suspicion, and even hatred.

We who claim the name of Jesus are not exempt from this.

At times we recognize we are all part of the divine family,

but at other times we see our human sisters and brothers as “other”, “them”, or even “you!”

Ideas, beliefs, and lack of knowing keep us apart.

We give ourselves names that separate us: Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jew,

even Community of Christ.

We try to love and accept our small community,

 but even here we often fail, 

falling victim to divisions of belief and ideology.

How can we be one?

Oneness  begins with God,

being one in God

and one with God.

Let my spirit accept the counsel of the Apostle Paul:

If then there is any encouragement in Christ,

any consolation from love,

any sharing in the Spirit,

any compassion and sympathy,

make my joy complete:

be of the same mind,

having the same love,

being in full accord and of one mind.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit,

but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.

Let each of you look not to your own interests,

but to the interests of others.

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

who,though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be exploited,

but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death-

even death on the cross.

(Philippians 2:1-8)

Let this mind be in you

and in me.

Carman Thompson