Mark 7:31-37 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

This year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity brings together two themes, two invitations extended to Christian churches and people: to pray and strive together for Christian unity, and to join together in responding to human suffering. These two responsibilities are deeply intertwined. Both relate to healing the body of Christ, hence the text chosen for this year’s week of prayer is a story of healing.

Our gospel reading this evening relates how Jesus healed a man who was deaf and could not speak properly. Jesus led the man away from the crowd, in order to attend to him in private. He put his fingers into the man’s ears, and touched the man’s tongue, and “said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘be opened’.

In this story of healing we hear of the Lord’s compassionate response to suffering and need; it is an eloquent testimony to the mercy of God. In restoring the man’s hearing and his ability to speak, Jesus manifests God’s power and desire to bring human beings to wholeness, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy” (35:5-6). The restoration of the man’s hearing allowed him to hear the good news proclaimed by Jesus; the restoration of his speech allowed him to proclaim what he had seen and heard to others. All of these dimensions are reflected in the response of those who witnessed the healing and were “astounded beyond measure”: “he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak” (v.37).

During this week of prayer for Christian Unity, we are reminded that as Christ’s body, we are called to be united in carrying out his mission. A part of that mission is to attend to those who are suffering and in need. As God heard the cry and knew the sufferings of his people in Egypt, as Jesus responded with compassion to those who cried out to him, so too we as the church are called to hear the voice of all who suffer, to respond with compassion, and to give voice to the voiceless.

There is an essential connection between efforts to pray for and seek unity among Christians and initiatives to respond to human need and suffering. Here in Walsall we have seen a number of joint initiatives that have crossed the denominational divides, which have helped draw churches closer together. For example the Walsall Drinkers Ministry, which reaches out to clubbers in the centre of Walsall every Friday night. There is also the Vine Project, and the Glebe Centre, which are supported by different churches, in order to meet the needs of some of the most vulnerable people in our community. The same Spirit which makes us brothers and sisters in Christ also empowers us to reach out to every human being in need. The same Spirit which is at work in all efforts to make visible the unity of Christians also gives strength to every movement towards renewing the face of the earth. Every easing of human suffering makes our oneness more visible; every step towards unity strengthens the whole body of Christ.

In a Peanuts cartoon Lucy demanded that Linus change TV channels, threatening him with her fist if he didn't. "What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?" asks Linus. "These five fingers," says Lucy. "Individually they're nothing but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold." "Which channel do you want?" asks Linus. Turning away, he looks at his fingers and says, "Why can't you guys get organized like that?" The simple truth is that when we work together as Christians we are so much stronger, and able to achieve so much more, than if we try to do things on our own.
The Origins of this year’s Week of Prayer Material: Umlazi

This year’s theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has its origins in the experience of Christian communities in the South African region of Umlazi, near Durban. Our service tonight reflect the concerns and experience of a people who have undergone great suffering.

Umlazi was originally established under the apartheid regime as a ‘township’ for the majority black population. A legacy of racism, unemployment and poverty continues to raise formidable challenges for its people, where there is still a shortage of schools, medical clinics and adequate housing. This context of poverty and unemployment gives rise to a high crime rate and problems of abuse within families and communities. But the biggest current challenge faced by people in the informal settlements and townships is that of HIV/AIDS. It is estimated that 50% of the residents of Umlazi are infected with the virus.

One of the big challenges they face, which aggravates the problem facing people in the Umlazi area, is the stigma which keeps people who are suffering abuse, victims of rape, or infected with HIV/AIDS, from speaking openly about their problems. These are taboo subjects. As a result, many people hesitate to seek the assistance available.

In light of the challenges facing this community, the local church leaders in Umlazi designed an ecumenical service which had as its central theme ‘breaking the silence’. Special services were organised, during which the young people were invited to speak about that which was ‘unspeakable’ and to seek assistance, mindful that keeping silence can mean death.

What Christians in South Africa have learnt is that the HIV/AIDS pandemic, is too great a challenge for a divided church, and that it is only by working together that they can do something to break the silence around this devastating disease.

Unity is not the same as uniformity, there can be diversity of expressions of faith, but there can also be unity within that diversity. We are many different parts, but there is only one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all. It is certainly true that we are beginning to see much greater unity amongst Christians, but we still have a long way to go. Just as the blind man in Mark’s Gospel had his eyes and ears opened, maybe we need our eyes and ears further opened to realise the possibilities of what we could do to serve and transform our community by working more closely together, particularly when we seek to ‘break the silence’ on those things that oppress and isolate people in their suffering here in our community.

Breaking the Silence

Jesus’ instructions to his followers was for them to continue the work he had begun. The question we should consider is what does it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, who makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak? How best can we proclaim the good news and be instruments of Christ’s healing presence, listening and giving voice to those who have been silenced or have not been able to relate their experience? And how can we increase the unity that already exists between us?

One of the challenges we have to face up to is breaking our own silence. There have been times when Christians and Christian churches have remained silent when we should have spoken out, times when we have not empowered the voiceless to speak. There are times when the divisions of the churches have kept us from hearing the pain of others, or have left our response muffled, conflicted, ineffective and unconsoling, and for this we need to repent. Now is the time for us to break our own silence. What has been interesting to see, is how religion has been brought back to centre stage in public life, and how despite falling church attendance, the religious voice is once again being listened too, and been shown to be powerful. Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God to save.” We must not be ashamed or afraid of speaking out, we have a duty to speak for those who have no voice, or whose voice is not being heard. Failure to do so, is failure to fulfil our calling.

The church has been given a voice and a message to proclaim, a mission to carry out; and it is not a divided message, a conflictive mission. Enlivened by the Holy Spirit, it is to be a single coherent utterance, the good news given to us by and in Christ himself. Through Christ, we have the grace to break the silence. In Christ, we are the community called to say ‘be opened’ to the deaf and the dumb. The path to faithfulness and integrity requires that we strive and pray for that unity for which Christ prayed, and that even amidst our divisions, we learn to speak with a single voice, to reach out as a single body with compassion, giving flesh to the good news which we proclaim.