By Brother Matthew Henson

I am known in our family as a “question asker.” It is not uncommon for people in my life to call me and say, “I need some of your questions.” These questions are penetrative in hopes of helping the person assure they have considered all the possibilities in the present situation. These questions are most often unanswerable with a “Yes” or “No” response. The majority require answers with ongoing follow up.

In the Christian Faith, we fall into the traps of ineffective or wrong questions that do not tend toward finding deeper understanding and can, if not asked in good faith, create division. In Brother E. Stanley Jones’ book, The Christ of the Indian Road, he writes,

If the emphasis in our approach to Christianity is ‘What?’ then it is divisive, but if the emphasis is ‘Whom?’ then we are drawn together at the place of the Central Magnet (155).

When we place the emphasis on the “Whom?” we seek to set aside the denominational differences that can divide us in the Kingdom of God. We want to place our emphasis on Jesus, who we worship. In John Wesley’s sermon, Catholic Spirit, we read, “’If thine heart is as my heart,’ if thou lovest God and all mankind, I ask no more, give me thine hand.’” The Scriptural basis for Wesley’s sermon is 2 Kings 10:15, “When he [Jehu] left there, he met Jehonadab son of Rechab coming to meet him; he greeted him, and said to him, ‘Is your heart as true to mine as mine is to yours?’ Jehonadab answered, ‘It is.’ Jehu said, ‘If it is, give me your hand.’ So he gave him his hand. Jehu took him up with him into the chariot.”

This is one of the great features of the Christian Ashram. We intentionally remove the barriers of denominations so that our experience of the Kingdom of God in miniature is not interrupted with our differences. We want our focus to be on Jesus. Brother Stanley earlier writes:

For at the central place of our experience of Jesus we are one. It is Christ who unites us; it is doctrines that divide (155).

As we continue to live into the Kingdom of God each day, how is God calling us to unite hearts across denominations, as we place our emphasis and focus on Jesus? How can be exhibit God’s love to the world, as we seek ways to work together to point to Jesus?

Prayer: Lord, help me make you the focus and emphasis of my life. Help me remove the barriers between denominations, that we can work together to see your Kingdom come and your Will be done. In Jesus’ name. Amen.