Compound Unity

Unity… I hear that word a lot…. What a word…. Unity. 
Echad…. All are one…. Sounds like unity.  

Well, here are my thoughts on the desecration of the word unity and the word Echad.  

When people tell me they want to see unity and everyone coming together, I question their motives. Not that I do not agree, but I listen to the words they use then I observe their behavior.  Having witnessed many varied congregations, denominations, cultural traditions, explanations, etc., I have a tendency to believe that we all want to actualize 'echad', to unify and come together.  Break down the barriers: Accept one another as we are one (echad) in the Father.  But, only to the extent that we do not include persons who may not fully accept or understand our understanding of the Word. 

Too many of us have a tendency to want to be told what we read rather than reading and digesting and investigating (m'drash) the data for ourselves and then sharing that understanding.  The enlightenment comes when we can come together and share our understanding openly and without fear.

For several years, some of the “Big Names” (aka BNs) in this Messianic walk have professed to desire unity.  And the BN’s all have an in depth knowledge of Torah.  So, why is it that there are divisions among the BN’s?  I am not here to bash the foundation that had the courage to turn from the profane worship standards.  I only want to know why we can’t come together.  If Ephraim and Ephraim can’t come together, how are Ephraim and Yehudah ever going to make it?   And if we can’t come together now, how will we stand a chance on the final day?  

Yahshua did not come to start a religion…. From the way I read it, He came to get us back to Torah and the Prophets.  If we are all reading the same book, the same words, the same grammatical structure, using the references for the Hebrew and the Greek, then how can we not be in some agreement that man is not to be followed…. We must follow the Word.  I am not saying that we do not need experienced leadership… we must have leadership.  Scripture tells us this.  But our leaders need to learn that they are leaders… just that.  

A few years ago, one of our brothers, a Yehudite, visited our Congregation.  It was enlightening.  He was invited to return.  He did.  He informed me that he would come again and if he returned after the fifth visit, that he was accepting of the Praise, Worship, Torah and Brit portions of our service.  During the following weeks he gave great insight for the nuances and cultural idioms found in Torah.  He also gave us a better understanding of ‘tradition’ and ‘written’ word.  He did not return for the sixth visit.  And we have not heard from him since.  I heard that he made Aliyah, but I don’t know.  Recently, our congregation has been blessed with a myriad of teachers and worship leaders.   Yet we find that some will not come to worship or teach with us because they are directed by man as to with whom they may assemble.  These are the Big Names that pioneered many of us to come out of Babylon.  These are the leaders who call for unity and becoming “Echad”.   

Have I given up the Pope for a Rabbi?  Have I given up the ‘church’ for the ‘congregation’?  Have I failed to do as Y'shua said…. a. Turn back to Torah and our Father?  b.  Listen to the Prophets?  c.  Go to temple/synagogue/shul and hear the Torah being read?  d.  Make sure that everything I do glorifies His Name?  Have I become so bogged down in trying to perfect the minutiae that I can’t enjoy the sweetness of His simplistic teaching for us, His children?

When does the "Am Echad" / "One People" standard of unity begin?  When does Sh’ma Israel, YHVH Eloheinu, YHVH Echad have meaning? Many people profess to believe in YHVH…. But I wonder how many truly believe YHVH.   

In unity, and wishing you Shalom

Pinchas  -- aka "Frankly Speaking"