Thoughts for the Day

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Looking at these verses from Ephesians I wrote one word "Oneness!". We could spend a whole year looking at these few lines, and still have more to say, so I shall look at "Oneness". We are born as separate human beings (usually), and we emerge from that trauma alone. As close as we become to others whether our parents or others who love us, we are still alone. No-one else can go to the dentist for us, or have a vaccination for us, or suffer physical pain for us. Others can help us throughout our life, they can love and care for us, but ultimately we are alone.

In our passage from Ephesians Paul uses the word "one" seven times. The Greek word for this is heis, meaning that there is only one - only one Faith, only one Body, only one Baptism, etc. From the first Christians have struggled to be one body (that is the Church), and often stressed their differences rather than their unity. So, to take one example, they have differed over whether Baptism is: by immersion or sprinkling of water; and whether Baptism by the Spirit is what these words really mean.

Yet this amazing God that we worship is one God (Father), one Lord (Jesus Christ) and one Spirit (Holy Spirit), that is, He is Three in One. He exists in perfect harmony, and as such He is above all, in all, and through all. Because of this at our baptism (whatever age we were) we became His child. We are not, and we have never been alone!

Triune God,
who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
and who exists above, through,
and in all things,
may we put all our trust in You
realising that we are never alone,
and that as Your children
You accompany us on our journey of life
and care for us all times.
Amen.