Ecumenism in the 21st Century: Can We Really Be One?

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The Gospel of John tells us that, shortly before his Passion began, the Lord prayed, “Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are” (John 17:11). While we often associate division among Christians with the schisms that led to the Orthodox Churches and the Reformation that led to Protestant denominations, division among Christians goes back to the early Church. Paul himself asked the Church of Corinth, “Has Christ been divided?” when he heard that Christians were claiming to belong to Paul, Apollo or Cephus. He urged the Christians to “be united in the same mind and in the same purpose” (1 Cor 1:10).
Two thousand years later, we look around and see that we are still far from Christian unity and must still work on being of the same mind and purpose. We talk about it. We long for it. We reiterate the significance of Christian unity every time we say the Nicene Creed and refer to the Church the Lord founded as “one, holy, catholic and apostolic”. But we don’t live it, as can be seen by the existence of countless Christian denominations, individual faith communities, megachurches and non-denominational communities.
When we see this division and realize how many differences come between us and full Christian communion, we might get a little discouraged. Nonetheless, each of us, as a baptized Christian, is called to actively engage in ecumenism and trust that the Holy Spirit can bring about the unity the Lord wills for his Church. In the end, Christian unity is possible because it doesn’t rely only on our efforts, but on God’s grace.
Head over to Eyes On Heaven to read about ecumenical challenges, progress and practical tips.

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