They May Be One

that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

John 17:21

I've been seeing a lot of memes today on Facebook on Protestantism vs Catholicism (and some would attack Orthodoxy as well).  I get it’s out of humor, but I hate it when Christians attack or make fun of other Christians.  This is NOT Christ-like!  With all the stuff going on in the world we should be uniting together, not being more divided!  Before Jesus was betrayed and was praying in the Garden, he prayed for the Church.  That they would be one just as he and the Father are one.  Y’all, we have done a REALLY terrible job at that.  We should honestly be ashamed of ourselves for failing in this department.  We were all one church once, then we were divided by the schism in 1054.  This became the split between the East (Orthodox) and the West (Roman Catholics).  Then the Reformation happened in the Roman Catholic Church in 1517 by Martin Luther.  This is when Protestantism was born.  In the Protestant Church there are so many different denominations that it’s honestly ridiculous.  There is so much division in the Church even over the most stupid stuff!  On top of that, we tend to shoot our own people worse than those who don’t claim to follow Christ!  How pathetic are we!  I have seen this personally on all sides. Orthodox, Catholics, and Protestants.  Many claiming to be holier than the other; claiming they know God better than the other or are better Christians than the other.  This. Is. Bull crap.  Stop attacking each other!  Stop it!  People on the outside look in and think, “I’m glad I’m not one of them when they attack their own people!”  You want to show the world you’re in Christ?  Love one another.  Respect one another.  You don’t have to agree with each other.  But this making fun of each other does not help the cause, it hurts it. 

“May they be one, as we are one.”

Let’s unite together, be kind to one another.  No more mocking each other.  No more attacking each other.  I’m not saying universalism either.  Let’s be one body in Christ.


P.S:  I get I'm not your typical Orthodox Christian.  I'm still learning, but even so, I believe there are true followers of Christ who are Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant, just as there are those who claim to follow Christ in all three branches but really don't.  It is not my place to judge where someone's heart is when I have enough wickedness in my own heart.  We can disagree on different doctrines, but please, stop attacking and mocking each other!