Musings: Notes From My Daybook

From friend Don Haymes comes a statement on unity by Don Carlos Janes. Janes (d.1944) was a tireless advocate for world mission in the first half of the twentieth century among Churches of Christ. This statement comes from a journal article in 1937:

I will accept my personal responsibility and obligation
to help answer our Lord's prayer for the unity of all who
believe on Him.

I will not accept any extra-scriptural authority of any
sort, nor receive any human creeds of any kind,
whether oral or written, expressed or implied, but will
gladly cooperate with all followers of Christ so far as
they desire and circumstances may permit, seeking
always to manifest the spirit of Christ, without whom
no one belongs to Him.

I will give up anything except the Word of God, to further
Christian unity.

I shall not forget that it is only by the grace of God that
even friends can long abide in undisturbed unity.

I will see to it that honest differences on non-vital matters
shall be no bar to fellowship.

On disputed matters, I will give very respectful consideration
to the other side, and will endeavor to use discretion in case
there is an occasion to deal with such matters.

I will endeavor so to conform life, character, and doctrine to
the revealed will of God as to make fellowship possible to all
who love our Lord Jesus supremely.

I am prepared to forgive all who have trespassed against me,
even as I wish to be forgiven, and will no more allow myself
to harbor malice in my soul than I will permit myself to carry
deadly germs in my pockets.

I am fully persuaded that the unity enjoined in scripture teaching
is not an exact intellectual agreement on every item of Christian
activity, for Christians do not all have an even start; do not all
have equal opportunities; do not all apply themselves with equal
diligence; nor do they all approach perfection at the same rate.

I see, therefore, that love and forbearance must be exercised
for Jesus' sake and also for the desired end of a practical, working
unity.

I am mindful of my own serious imperfections, and while standing
steadfastly for my conscientious convictions, I shall not be too
eager to bring the whole church to my conception of the ideal state,
for that would mean the adoption of some error somewhere--unless
I am a perfect exponent of scripture, which no one believes.

God help us all to be more Christlike that we may be one in Him.