Loving those with whom we disagree

Last week, a plan for the separation of the United Methodist Church was released.  This is one of many plans that will come before General Conference, but this one was interesting to the media.  In response, our Bishop released a letter.  

I encourage you to click the link and read the entire letter, but this quote is what I want to focus on today:

There is no doubt that we shine Christ’s light brighter, stronger, and more powerfully when we work together. It grieves my heart to think that we would give up on finding a way to move together – and yet I realize that we have forgotten or maybe never learned how to speak and work with one another in the midst of disagreement without attacking or putting down the neighbor who is different from ourselves – and that has resulted in great harm and damage to many of God’s children.

I watched the streaming of the last Special General Conference, I read posts on Facebook, and hear people's arguments.  I agree with her - "we have forgotten or maybe never learned how to speak and work with one another in the midst of disagreement."

And I also think this is not confined to the United Methodist Church.  I see it everywhere.  We often only know how to disagree - how to argue - and in doing so, we lose the humanity of the one in front of us.  

We are the Church, and Christ expects better of us than that.  Don't you think?  I can easily love the person who agrees with me, but can I love the person who disagrees with me? And what does that look like when our opinions are so different from each other? (and when I am obviously right?).  

We have to learn this, because until we do, we cannot change the world.  We should be the ones who are teaching others by how we act. We should be the ones shining this much needed light in the world.  If not us, then who?

Connected

I am United Methodist. I haven't always been United Methodist; I was baptized a Presbyterian, but I came to the United Methodist church in high school, joined the church, and have belonged ever since. 

What does it mean to belong to the United Methodist church? Now that I do what I do for a living, I am privileged to share the word of God standing in pulpits other than the one in the church where I attend. Every time - every single time - God reminds me that I belong to something bigger than my own local church. We are connected. The church I'm standing in is my own, as much as my own is.

I was reading a Facebook post from Director of Communications of the West Virginia Annual Conference. She wrote that she had heard the head of United Methodist Commission on Relief speak. Dr. Simbo Ige said, "When there's a disaster, a need for hope and healing, there is UMCOR, UMCOR is church, UMCOR is United Methodist, UMCOR is you."  When disaster strikes in Japan, and UMCOR responses, it means I am there. When flooding hits West Virginia, and UMCOR sends help, it means the United Methodist in Japan is there.

This is what it means when we say, "I am the church - you are the church - we are the church, together." We are connected through the Body of Christ, and I think this is something the United Methodist Church does very well.