So close yet so far

John 14

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (v 8-9)

This is a stunningly familiar scene. Jesus, if you would just do this one more thing for me, then I would believe you. I'm waiting for the personal invitation to faith accompanied by just one more sign. Did you really mean what you said about loving one another, Lord? Did you really mean that stuff about money? Did you really invite us into a life of fruit-bearing through death? If you would give me one more sign - then, surely, I would believe it.

Ephesians 4

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call — one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (v4-6)

How can a fragmented church represent the unified trinity to a watching world? Where increased knowledge should lead to increased humility in oneself and increased confidence in God so that differences become tolerable, we have turned "doctrine" into a tool for division. This is not because doctrine is bad per se, but we have lost the worship sense of orthodoxy and contented ourselves with orthopraxy. People have written books on unification, so I'll leave it at that.