Growing Together In Love and Truth

BY REV DR FOREST KOH NAM SENG

...with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,  eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. EPHESIANS 4:2-3 

“Whether you like it or not, this is your family! How can you say you want to leave this church?”  

These words from a dear brother in Christ have echoed in my mind since we last spoke. He was upset and heartbroken. The church is his spiritual family. He grew up in this church and his parents were in this church too. Even before he was born, he belonged to this church! He was affected when he saw people leave as issues remain unresolved. 

He said, “It should be like a marriage relationship, devoted couples go through thick or thin together, they never leave one another until death set them apart.” This brother was upset and heartbroken, but still hopeful. 

GPC is a church with a long history. We are celebrating our 140th anniversary next year. A sister in the church warned me jokingly, “You must be careful with your words, his mother could be her sister and her sister could be another’s cousin, and that cousin could be his wife!” We have intricate relationships, and that’s what the church is all about! Relationship - bringing people into an intimate relationship with Christ and with one another. But as is the case in any relationship, hurt is often unavoidable.  

My Chinese literature professor, Zhang Xiaofeng, articulated profoundly, “It is inevitable that we get hurt. If you wish to avoid getting hurt, I’d challenge you to consider what the purpose of such a pristine state of being would be…. If being hurt and broken is integral to love and compassion, then brokenness is far preferable to wholeness.” It is easier said than done, but we have to persevere in love and in unity.  

Paul says, “…with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4: 2-3) There is a tension in the phrase “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit.” While we endeavour to maintain the unity with humility, with gentleness, with patience, and with love, we must recognize that unity is a gift from the Spirit and not something we create. Unity is based in the oneness of the Triune God. (Ephesians 4: 3-4)  

The Triune God has demonstrated this unity in perfect intimacy. The Athanasian Creed depicts, “We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Essence. For there is one Person of the  Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one.” The Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the Father, yet the Father is the Son, the Son is the Spirit and the Spirit is the Father. “These three are one true, eternal God, the  same in substance, equal in power and glory; although distinguished by their personal properties.” (The Westminster Larger Catechism, question 9) The doctrine of the Trinity  implies unity in diversity. Having said all of this, the Trinity is still a Mystery that we don’t fully understand! This mystery, however, is also the very foundation of our faith. As someone said, “Try to explain the Trinity, and you will lose your mind; try to deny it, and you will lose your soul!” 

The unity of the church is based in the Triune God with Christ as our head. (Ephesians 1: 22) We are in Christ and we are His body. We love Him because we were first loved by Him. Worship and serve Him with all our hearts, all our minds and all our souls as we learn how to love one another.  

In any relationship, getting hurt is almost an expectation. But never give up hope  because we live to serve and emulate the Triune God. Press on, and do not leave the church. We will witness together how God works among us. If you have left and happened to read this, know that your struggle in your relationship with this church was not in vain. I hope you are recovering well and in good spirits. Remember, we are praying that you will continue to grow in love and truth, and you are always welcome  back to GPC. 

Always waiting for you… 

Pastor Forest 

PS: The original Chinese quote is taken from 张晓风,《人生的什么和什么》：“受伤，这种 事是有的，但是你要保持一个完完整整不受伤的自己做什么用呢？。。。如果爱和关怀就 必须包括受伤，那么就不要完整，只要撕裂.”（2019）