https://odb.org/2026/03/07/one-russian,-one-ukrainian,-one-lord
Ephesians 4:1-6 NIV – 4 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the war that followed, a Russian man and a Ukrainian woman walked into a building. There was no argument or hatred exchanged between the two. Instead they sang together in unison. Why? The building was a church, and the two were Christians, worshipping together. “In here we have one leader,” Nenad, the minister, explained, “Jesus Christ, nobody else. Over the centuries, across the world, people who should be sworn enemies have united in Christ and called each other family. It is remarkable. In the apostle Paul’s day, the great divide was between Jews and Gentiles. Though Gentiles were always welcome to worship God in the Jewish temple, they were relegated to a separate, inferior area. (Tanya Marlow, Our Daily Bread 7th March 2026)
I guess divisions in the church may transcend even racial/political lines as in the case of Russians and Ukrainians or Catholics and Protestants amongst the Irish or even the hostilities between the Chinese and the Japanese due to the atrocities of the latter during WW2. More often the church is divided because there are those who support one group while there are others who support another group. Pretty similar to divisions in political parties. Except that for the latter it is about power and we all know power corrupts. Sadly, sometimes in the church itself, divisions may sometimes be also about power. That’s so tragic because the church should be all about Christ crucified and Christ resurrected.
Paul’s exhortation in Ephesians 4 thus becomes meaningful because we must live lives worthy of our calling. Paul advises us to be completely humble and gentle and be patient, bearing one another in love. Indeed humility and patience are essential in church. There are just so many colourful characters in church. Most mean well and are totally sincere. But there are few who may actually be wolves in sheep clothing. Not agents of the devil per se but just simply driven by the lust of power or pride or just plain personal agendas. Paul hopes the Ephesians would make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit, meaning to make sure we are united as a body. Not to have groups or alliances for political purposes in church. In other words, there should be minimal or no politics in church! Everyone should all work together for the good of the Kingdom of God.
With the ongoing war in the Middle East and its potential impact across the globe, this may well be another milestone towards the Second Coming of Christ. Therefore let us all focus on what really matters and remove the peripheral and the personal. In all that we do in church, always put the community of believers first. We do our best for the good of everyone. Make all effort to keep the unity of the Spirit as Paul teaches!
Ronnie's Thoughts 