In this season, Bishop Ward reminds us to seek to live in unity with one another.
I give you as light to the nations that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. At this time, in the midst of January, at the beginning of this new year, we give thanks for the expansive vision of the United Methodist Church.
We give thanks, for the sense we have that God’s radiant light shines in our midst, drawing us outward to the edges. We give thanks that at the edges, we meet those in need, and through our shared ministry, God’s light does indeed shine in our communities, and to the very ends of the earth.
In this season, in January, we move into the week of Prayer for Christian Unity, seeking, with all believers in Jesus Christ to live in unity with one another. This unity is a gift of God, not uniformity of opinion or a view, but rather a rich gift binding us into a beautiful tapestry, weaving our differences into a beautiful palate of color and beauty.
In January, we also remember the life and ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who spoke of a mountaintop, from which he and all of us could see a new world, in which people of every color and every race live together as children of God.
This light, God’s light, that reaches to the ends of the earth, enters our hearts, and opens us up to new possibilities of unity, of reconciliation, and of love. We give thanks that God’s light shines. Our prayer today is that indeed, God’s salvation will reach into every heart, even unto the ends of the earth.