Galatians 3:28 – There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (NRSV)

During my time working in New York City, USA, I would regularly attend midday prayer at St. Thomas Church. Its Anglo-Catholic style is very high church even by Episcopal Church standards. The priests faced the altar when performing the eucharist. Evensong was sung three evenings a week. The altar would be blessed with incense — "all the smells and bells" as a colleague at work once described it. Initially, all of this was a bit off-putting for one raised as a staunch Presbyterian with a good dose of Dutch Reformed Church lurking in the background. However, over time, I learned not only to tolerate the ritual, but to realize that it could be a guidepost to a fuller worship experience. Besides, the Episcopal Church was the only alternative for weekday Protestant worship in midtown Manhattan. All the other Protestant denominations closed their doors, often literally, during the week.

As I settled into the routine of midday prayer at St. Thomas, I became more and more conscious of the variety of those worshipping. There were all types of people: Asian, Latino, African, Afro-American, etc., as well as the archetypical white Anglo-Saxon. Overalled janitors knelt next to pinstriped tax attorneys to partake of the common cup at the altar rail. It was a perfect picture of modern-day diversity that would have warmed the heart of any human resources manager. Yet, during my whole time at St. Thomas, I do not remember the rector or any of the other priests ever using the word "diversity", much less dwelling on the topic. Instead, their singular focus was, as they said, "to vigorously preach Jesus Christ without stammering".

We live in a world that increasingly and shrilly insists on dividing us by race, gender, economic status, historical grievances, and religion — all supposedly in the name of celebrating our differences but, in fact, serving to divide us and, all too often, to set us at each other's throats, figuratively, if not literally.

As Christians, rather than focusing on what separates us from one another — race, gender, economic status, pedigree, degree of victimhood — may our sole emphasis be on the faith that unites us all and allows us to truly call one another brother and sister.

Prayer: Father God, grant us the wisdom and courage to reject calls for division, however artfully they may disguised, and to boldly proclaim our faith in Jesus Christ as the one thing that trumps all else and truly unites us as a single people in Christ. Amen.

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About the author:

David Gellatly <dlgellatly3@gmail.com>
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
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