Paul’s second letter to Timothy, most likely written during his final Roman imprisonment, was the last of his writings of which we have any record. In it, he gives pastoral instructions to Timothy, probably for his role supporting the church in Ephesus. But in this most personal of letters, he also reveals some of the tragedies and challenges that he, Paul, was facing in the latter days of his active ministry. He alludes to his sufferings, but then almost as an aside he says to Timothy in 1:15 “You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phylegus and Hermogenes”. Everyone? Everyone. Not a great legacy. Paul probably felt betrayed and angry.
This year I have been through – and since it is still on-going, I am remaining anonymous for this short article – the experience of false accusations, and what at times has felt like being abandoned. I have felt the anger that comes when you see injustice. I found myself going through the days of Holy Week this year, less focused on our Lord’s physical sufferings, and more on his emotional sufferings. And I have fought not to let the anger I have experienced turn to bitterness. But it has been very, very hard for all concerned. In some cases there is nothing more I can do than follow the Lord’s injunction to pray for those who have seemingly chosen to be my enemy. May the Lord bless all of us in this.
As I have reflected on my experience, the experience of Christians in significant disagreement, I have compared my journey personally, to our ecumenical journey. For many years I have been in ecumenical work connecting with Christians all over Europe. My strongest learning experience has been the importance of knowing one another well enough, that, despite our differences, and disagreements, we trust one another and keep in relationship. We need to be in good relationship even when we disagree. And when the hard facts of disagreement have made our relationship go cold, we must step out in humility, to rebuild that relationship wherever that is in our power. Of course, sometimes it is not.
Maybe at times, we think that to be able to be in good relationship with different people we need to understand, and even accept as valid, one another’s perspectives. Often that is unrealistic. Some years ago, I was on the continent at an ecumenical conference, and a Protestant leader shared one of his early experiences of visiting a Roman Catholic community. It was a community with a strong Marian focus, and he found their Marian devotions hard to understand; and, though he was deeply struck by their profound faith, he wondered how he could continue that ecumenical journey. However, he described how he was driving home in the dark at the end of the visit pondering these things, when he had a profound experience of the Lord being with him in the car, almost like a bright light. And then he heard a word from the Lord: “Do not call unclean that which I have called clean”. That word changed his ecumenical outlook fundamentally.
We will never logically understand all the ways the Lord works in our different churches. However, if we invest in relationships with one another, enough to see the Lord in one another, we will be able to trust one another despite our differences.
The author of this month’s reflection has asked to remain anonymous.
Photo credit: Lukas Rychvalsky via Pixabay