Strong spirits: one

Ever wonder how many churches there are in the Rockford area? When I ask that question, I get a very wide swath of responses... 200, 300, lots.

The answer is: there is only one. Lots of different faiths, lots of different Christian denominations. But as far as the Christian Church goes, there is only one. There has always only been one.

Jesus prayed before his death that his followers would be one, just as he and the Father are one. Jesus told his disciples at that time that their love for each other would be the witness to everyone else that they were disciples of Jesus.

Frankly, we're doing a pretty bad job of this. If love for each other is the evidence that we are followers of Jesus, I'm not sure many would conclude that we are.

Here's a challenge: read Jesus' prayer in John 17. Read Paul's challenge in 1 Corinthians 12, and his description of love in chapter 13. Ask yourself, "How am I doing with this?"

Besides serving as pastor at Caledonia Congregational Church, Gary Schwerin is the Spiritual Development Minister for the YMCA of the Rock River Valley and Executive Director of Bridge Ministries of Rockford. Prior to launching Bridge Ministries, Gary spent many years in leadership with Young Life. His columns appear here every Sunday - to see them all, subscribe to our daily email.

More News from Roscoe

• A visit with the Belties at Klover Korners Kathi Jurkowski cares for about 15 Belties at her farm in Rockton, sometimes called Oreo cows.
• Death notices for the Stateline: June 24, 2024 We remember those who are no longer with us in Roscoe, Rockton, and South Beloit.