by Kathy Pope, Co-ordinator, Churches Together in Cornwall.
The focus we are given for this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is Jesus’ question to Martha: ‘Do you believe this? (Jn 11:26), so what does this mean for us as we reflect on our shared faith as Christians?
Well, we are also marking the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea, in the year 325, and its legacy of the Nicene Creed; this was further developed at the later Council at Constantinople in 381 and we all still use it today. As Jenny mentioned, these Week of Prayer for Christian Unity materials have been written by the sisters and brothers at Bose. This community in Northern Italy, comprises both women and men, who pray together several times a day. They follow a rule influenced by both St. Benedict (western tradition) and St. Basil the Great (eastern tradition) and members include Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox Christians, so they are a great expression of living together in both unity and diversity.
We are given two passages today from John’s gospel – firstly Chapter 11, verses 17-27 which describes the encounter between Martha and Jesus following the death of Martha and Mary’s brother, Lazarus. The setting is four days after Lazarus had been placed in the tomb so Martha and Mary would still have been keeping the ritual of “sitting shiva“.
This is a very ancient Jewish custom which is still practiced today; the shiva period lasts for seven days following the burial of a loved one. It’s a time when mourners remain at home while friends and family come and visit, to offer their condolences, to provide comfort and give practical support.
Shiva provides a time and space when those who are bereaved can share their loss, talk about their loved one and accept the consolation of others. So, this is the setting that John describes in verse 19: many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother.
However, we are then told that when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she contravened this convention and left, on her own, to meet with Jesus, leaving Mary at home. We hear later, in verse 28, that Martha returns and only then tells Mary that Jesus has arrived. Interestingly each of them initially reproaches Jesus for not arriving earlier, before Lazarus died, and they use the same words: Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died. Surely this is a clear, and beautiful indication of the closeness and equality of the relationship they had with Jesus, and he with them, that they are both bold enough to challenge him.
Now the exchange continues, and after confronting Jesus, Martha expresses her faith: But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.
What an extraordinary statement of complete trust and confidence when her world has just fallen apart…. Then, we have the climax of this exchange and perhaps we can imagine the intense intimacy between them as they look at each other: Jesus said to her (just to Martha) – I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?
It clearly matters to Jesus what Martha thinks and believes. Even though she a woman, her opinion is of value and she is offered complete respect.
Now – to digress slightly – we all know the story in Luke Chapter 10. Jesus and his friends have again been welcomed by Martha and Mary – Martha is busy with the practicalities of welcoming their guests while Mary sits to listen and to learn. Jesus responds to Martha’s frustration by affirming Mary’s right of equality with the male disciples. I always feel that implicit in Jesus’ support of Mary is an invitation to Martha as well to sit and listen, which in turn is possibly also a challenge to the men that they shouldn’t necessarily expect only the women to prepare and serve the meal. Perhaps both these stories have in common Jesus’ capacity to subvert the social order and conventions of his day.
But back to Jesus’ question ‘Do you believe this? – Martha has clearly been listening and learning; she does not disappoint in her completely wholehearted and unequivocal response:
Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.
I can’t help contrasting this with Thomas, in our second reading, who gets there in the end, to be fair, again with a recognition and clear confession of faith: My Lord and my God, although it is only after Jesus has invited him to actually feel inside his wounds.
I wonder how many of us could have been so definite as Martha, so committed, when the authorities and powerful people of the day were in opposition to Jesus, contradicting any of his claims, and undermining his works, and when she had just suffered such a loss. As a woman of immense courage, who is not afraid to speak or to challenge, she is a real role model, one that is so badly needed in our church and our world today.
So how do we move from the inspiration of this story to our own commitment, our mission and our expression of the unity of faith in Jesus that we share, and declare, as Christians? How do we deepen and grow those beliefs we have in common – that we are going to express shortly by lighting our candles and reciting the Nicene Creed together.
Well, one of those ways, and perhaps one of the most important, is in being open to learn from each other. While it’s unlikely that we, here, can solve the deep theological conundrums that scholars and theologians have examined and researched for very many years, each and every one of us can contribute to growing Christian unity at the grass roots – through listening, learning, understanding and growing closer together.
We can start by appreciating the value of our different traditions, even when we don’t yet understand them. Our diversity and distinct identities provide us with riches that we can offer to one another. In this way our differences actually become our gifts to each other. Growing this attitude of openness and sharing is the essence of Receptive Ecumenism – which starts from the point of asking – what can I learn, and what can my church learn, from other traditions and interpretations?
Personally, I am enormously grateful for the gift of an interchurch marriage. 40 years of growing our unity while sharing our differences is a great learning curve – these things take time!
Now part of my role as Co-ordinator of Churches Together in Cornwall is to visit Christians and Churches Together Groups around the county, which is such a joy, and I often use P&DCT as an excellent example of growing unity at a local level. Doing what you do, year in and year out quietly builds trust (and that requires a certain risk) but it leads to a genuine respect, acceptance and even a celebration of differences – you really model something quite special, and your influence goes a long way beyond Par, Tywardreath and St Blazey.
So, as well as reciting the Creed together I would like to invite you to express our developing unity here in this place and in Cornwall. As you came in you were given a copy of the Churches Together in Cornwall Covenant. This is for each and every person to sign, if you would like to. It’s a recognition that it’s not only our church leaders that have a responsibility to grow unity between Christians; we all do. In essence, it forms the ‘strategy and action plan’ for Churches Together in Cornwall into the future because it commits us:
- To give thanks for the road we have already travelled, while recognising the divisions we still have
- It commits us to rejoice in our diversity and the wonderful history of Christianity in Cornwall, and
- We also pledge to re-dedicate ourselves to sharing our traditions, and co-operate together to care for the both the people and the land of Cornwall, as we offer prayer and praise to the glory of God together.
If you feel you would like to sign the Covenant that would be brilliant – they can be left on the table in the porch, or you can take them away, and please do take a prayer card with you anyway.
So, we can sum up by reminding ourselves that each one of us is wonderfully and differently made by God, also that each one of us is of equal value, and deserving of equal respect. Let’s remember where we started with Jesus’ question:
Do you believe this? and Martha’s response that we can all say in genuine unity: Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’
Amen
Post expires on March 21st, 2025