The Polychromatic Body of Christ

“The light of Christ illumines us all”—brilliant and soul-touching words from Gregory Palamas, a notable theologian during the Byzantine Period. To many Christians, this is undebatable and, to others of similar religion, his words are beyond doubt too. Yet, we are still enthralled to ask: How does this light look like? Is this a blinding light? Or a light glowing with warmth? Is it too bright that it can encompass everyone with its luminance? Or is this light scattered? And what colors does it radiate?

Just as how species of flora and fauna vary, Christians around the globe are not exempted from diversity’s spell. Since the Apostolic Age, when Apostles are believed to have dispersed from Jerusalem to fulfill their mission of spreading the Gospel of Salvation in Jesus, a variety of Christian groups already existed. As Christ’s believers rapidly multiplied, differences among Christians increased too and this continues even today.

Some differ in faith practices, doctrines, ideologies, and even in theologies. It may sound comical but many denominational groups argue over petty things, such as a person’s dress code when entering the church and even the choice of music for worship. And if you think that the senate court is the grandest courtyard for the plenty arguments regarding the implementation and interpretation of laws, you might give yourself a chance to reconsider such thought once you realize that conventional gatherings and meetings of our fellow Christians is also a combat zone where pastors, priests, and ministers discuss and argue on matters concerning biblical and theological interpretation and the implementation of church programs. One example is the United Methodist Church General Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, last February 23-26 , where policies to ban same-sex marriages and LGBT clergy members were up for debate.

Amidst these differences, which seem challenging to accept for some, there are Christians who envision to develop relationships and understanding with their co-travellers in Christ who have different cultural and denominational backgrounds. Thus, Ecumenism was born.

Ecumenism, Christian Ecumenism to be specific, seeks to put the church, which is Christ’s body, into the state of being one. In other words, the movement’s prime aim is unity. Despite Ecumenism’s noble intention, some consider this movement as a work of evil. They believe that Ecumenism tolerates the wrong and unbiblical teachings of some churches, while others see the movement as an opportunity for understanding different views in matters of faith, cooperation or united witness and harmony for justice and peace. In addition, they also consider it as a chance to build bridges that will bind Christians instead of erecting walls of division.

This is also parallel to the outlook of MC Mace Sulayao, a fourth year student of Central Philippine University and a member of Kabataang Ekyumenikal.

“As an Iglesia Filipina Independiente member, we affirm ecumenical movements and formations because we see it as an opportunity to unite despite differences,” she said.

On the other hand, being part of the Ecumenical movement may cause confusion, for you will be opened to new and sometimes strange theologies and religious principles.

“In my Ecumenical experience, I have encountered people who tried to bend my beliefs for me to agree and adhere to what they believe in. But, we must always remind ourselves that we are gathering to comprehend each other’s differences and to strengthen our unity. Respect must always prevail,” Sulayao added.

We may not agree in all matters of faith, but we can always choose to listen, to widen our perspectives and to respect. Ben Joseph Libo-on, a theology student, shared his thoughts regarding this.

“In Ecumenism, we need not argue or else we’ll fail in both ways. Winning an argument won’t make you a winner. You may have won a debate but you might have lost the person you are in discourse with”, he said.

Metaphorically, the Body of Christ is the Church. The church is composed of unique individuals, and the uniqueness of each individual gives color to the church. Being made distinct from each other does not mean that we are to be individualistic. In John 17:21, Jesus prayed that all may be one, as He and the Father are one. This means that if we are His followers we should seek to be in unity with those who follow Him too.

Moreover, we, believers of Christ are called to be a beacon of light that will serve as God’s instrument to illumine this dark world we live in—a world full of deceit, injustice, and hatred. How could this be possible if we are enslaved by the shackles of disunity?

May we, Christians, choose to let our light shine amidst differences, that this world may glow in His polychromatic radiance. /CE