A Life Shaped and Re-shaped by Prayer

Monday, Week 4 - Philippians 4:1-3: Walking Together in Love

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.  I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.  Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

There are tensions among members of the Philippian Church, and Paul is calling for unity.  The key for Paul is not getting one’s own way, but paying more attention to the way of Christ and together following it.   He names two women, Euodia and Syntyche, who presumably were important leaders and whose conflict with one another has become public.   We don’t know their issue, but we do know that it was drawing focus and energy away from what was truly important – what Paul names as “The work of the Gospel.”   

The work of the Gospel includes the proclamation that in Christ, God’s favor is being extended to all humanity, not just Jews, not just Romans, (not just Americans).   In his letter to the Galatians Paul warns one community that all are welcome as they are (circumcision not required).  In Philemon he asks that a slave owner release his slave because we are all brothers and sisters now.  In 1 Corinthians he chastises the church community for favoring the rich (chapter 11) and also favoring those whose giftedness was more obvious (chapter 12).

Rich and poor, extroverted or introverted, gay or straight, privileged by the society around us or oppressed by it - in Christ all are welcome; we are given to one another as brother and sister, and our unity with one another matters greatly.   If we find ourselves out of relationship with someone, Paul calls us to pay attention to the way of Christ who though he was in the form of God, emptied himself, took on lowliness, and gave himself away for the sake of others (chapter 2).  So too, if we find others in tension, Paul calls upon us to help them reconcile. 

Then in our united community, walking together in God’s love, we might more authentically address the outside world with the Gospel word – a word that announces, among other things, that racism is injustice, that widespread poverty is not just an unfortunate side-effect of free market capitalism rather it is sin, and that using Biblical apocalypse literature to justify poor stewardship of the environment is just plain selfish.

O God, teach me the way of Christ, and a greater ability to follow that way.  Help me and others in the community of faith to maintain positive relationships with one another.  Then help the Church to more boldly proclaim and hear the gospel word that in Christ, everyone matters.  Amen.