STEP: STudent Ecumenical Partnership

That all may be One

Noah Gillespie This slogan of the UCC, based on John 17:21, is a powerful and prophetic calling to us today. So often in songs and from pulpits we seek unity, to become the Body of Christ in the world, but it is a challenge that has perhaps only grown more difficult with time. The history of Christianity, sadly, is one of division rather than unity. The "breaking" of our common faith into Catholic and Orthodox, followed by the Reformation, the creation of the Anglican Church, and the birth of so many new ideologies in the United States, and their further mixings and dissolutions as Christianity is spread around the globe, has created a very daunting level of complexity.

In the past, wars were fought over the most mundane practices of our faith. Today, cultural battles are waged over which of God's Children may truly join with us in God's family. In a country where hope and freedom are our dearest values, our churches are the most segregated and exclusive entities in our society. I think there is something wrong with that picture.

And that is why I was so relieved when I saw one group doing something right. The United Methodist Student Movement, the Methodist counterpart of STEP, recently held their annual Student Forum, a gathering focusing on deep spiritual reflection, social justice, and empowering leaders in the Church. The most amazing aspect of the event was the way in which inclusiveness was such an integral part of the life of the community that had gathered, so tightly woven into the music and dance from so many traditions and in so many languages, that all felt welcome and included, and opened up to let others — and the Spirit — in. After this, the simple act of being Church flowed naturally. For you see, the Church is not a building, not a denomination, even, but people.

What gave me the most hope was seeing that ecumenism is possible — the interaction and common-union persons of different faith traditions can share. I think a lot of people, especially those our age, already know that the future — and the present — of the Church is as a single Body of Christ. This does not mean any of us will forsake our traditions or beliefs; on the contrary, we will celebrate and share them, and learn from those of others. Our spiritual identity then becomes a way for us to meet others authentically, rather than a wall to keep us apart. After all, the Body of Christ metaphor works so well because it describes how we are a diverse community, bound with deep care for one another. Maybe we can't solve all the problems we face in one fell swoop, but we can take STEPs in the right direction — steps that foster peace, community, and understanding, many of which are difficult. But with Jesus praying that we "all may be one," I have faith that we will make it.

A law and social thought and economics major at the University of Toledo, Noah Gillespie is a member of Cross Creek Community Church in Dayton, Ohio.



		That all may be One This slogan of the UCC, based on John 17:21, is a powerful and prophetic calling to us today. So often in songs and from pulpits we seek unity, to become the Body of Christ in the world, but it is a challenge that has perhaps only grown more difficult with time. The history of Christianity, sadly, is one of division rather than unity. The "breaking" of our common faith into Catholic and Orthodox, followed by the Reformation, the creation of the Anglican Church, and the birth of so many new ideologies in the United States, and their further mixings and dissolutions as Christianity is spread around the globe, has created a very daunting level of complexity. In the past, wars were fought over the most mundane practices of our faith. Today, cultural battles are waged over which of God's Children may truly join with us in God's family. In a country where hope and freedom are our dearest values, our churches are the most segregated and exclusive entities in our society. I think there is something wrong with that picture. And that is why I was so relieved when I saw one group doing something right. The United Methodist Student Movement, the Methodist counterpart of STEP, recently held their annual Student Forum, a gathering focusing on deep spiritual reflection, social justice, and empowering leaders in the Church. The most amazing aspect of the event was the way in which inclusiveness was such an integral part of the life of the community that had gathered, so tightly woven into the music and dance from so many traditions and in so many languages, that all felt welcome and included, and opened up to let others — and the Spirit — in. After this, the simple act of being Church flowed naturally. For you see, the Church is not a building, not a denomination, even, but people. What gave me the most hope was seeing that ecumenism is possible — the interaction and common-union persons of different faith traditions can share. I think a lot of people, especially those our age, already know that the future — and the present — of the Church is as a single Body of Christ. This does not mean any of us will forsake our traditions or beliefs; on the contrary, we will celebrate and share them, and learn from those of others. Our spiritual identity then becomes a way for us to meet others authentically, rather than a wall to keep us apart. After all, the Body of Christ metaphor works so well because it describes how we are a diverse community, bound with deep care for one another. Maybe we can't solve all the problems we face in one fell swoop, but we can take STEPs in the right direction — steps that foster peace, community, and understanding, many of which are difficult. But with Jesus praying that we "all may be one," I have faith that we will make it. A law and social thought and economics major at the University of Toledo, Noah Gillespie is a member of Cross Creek Community Church in Dayton, Ohio.