On this World Communion Sunday, as we join hearts and hands with Christians all across the earth to celebrate the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, the central message of our communion meditation is this: the power of Jesus Christ which lifts us up and holds us together is greater than all those forces that would keep us down and tear us apart. And the text for today is taken from Psalm 133, verse 1:

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when the people of God dwell together in unity!

On the 20^th of May 1927, early in the morning as the mist lifted up from Roosevelt Field on Long Island, Charles Lindbergh took off in his plane named "The Spirit of St. Louis" and flew into history. Thirty-three and one-half hours later, Lindbergh landed his aircraft on the runway of Le Bourget Field in Paris with 150,000 people cheering him on. It was the world’s first trans-Atlantic flight, and Lindbergh became an international hero overnight. Wherever he went, whatever he did, the crowds praised and virtually revered him.

Soon thereafter, as he prepared for a national tour, which would take him across the country and into the hearts of Americans everywhere, a book was published to mark the grand occasion. Written by Lindbergh in less than two months, it was titled WE, a phrase Lindbergh used often, and it told the story of all those who had supported him and of the great adventure which had brought together people from all over the world. The book WE instantly became a best-seller, and it was translated into many languages and read widely in other countries.

Forty-seven years later, following the tragedy of his son’s kidnapping and murder; following the relentless pursuit of the press which caused Lindbergh, his wife Ann, and their family to move to Europe; following his opposition to the United States entering the Second World War which turned many against him; and following countless other pains and sorrows, Charles Lindbergh was diagnosed with cancer.

Although he had remarkable gifts and skills and made a myriad of contributions to aviation, space exploration, medicine, international relations and environmental causes, even so, at the end of his life, Lindbergh did not sense the same affirmation from those early days for who he was or for what he had done.

Finally, on August 26, 1974, at the age of 72, Charles Lindbergh died and was buried on the island of Maui. Around the graveside stood just 15 people, including his family, his closest friends, and a few Hawaiian gravediggers. And inscribed on his rough tombstone were these words from the 139^th Psalm:

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea

(Excerpts taken from Lindbergh, by A. Scott Berg, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, New York, 1998)

Now I tell you that story because it reflects the vision of a man who looked beyond the horizon and saw the potential of a world where people could live together in unity and peace. He was seen as a hero by some and as a pariah by others. But while his vision was met with resistance in certain quarters, Charles Lindbergh continued to dream of the day when the people on this earth could say "We—we, all of us—belong to one human family."

On this World Communion Sunday, I lift up before you the vision of another person who looked beyond the horizon and saw with God’s own eyes how people could live together in love. At His birth, the angels sang of "peace on earth and good will toward all of humanity." And when He grew to become a man, He preached a gospel of hope and salvation, as He healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, ministered to the poor, promised freedom to the oppressed, and gave faith to all those who were anxious and afraid.

His name was and is Jesus and He came among us to reveal God’s will and purpose for life here and now and for all of eternity. He called disciples to follow Him, and as their journey led finally to Jerusalem, the forces of evil rose up to resist them. On the night before He was arrested and then crucified, He met with His closest friends for one last supper in an upper room. And knowing that He would soon return to the Father in heaven, Jesus left them a legacy that would hold them together as His Body on earth. Listen again to the prayer He offered on their behalf:

Christian friends, that prayer still extends to all of us today, and it is a prayer that we need to hear and to say especially at this World Communion celebration. For God knows we have a long way to go before we can attain the unity which Jesus Christ envisioned for the community of faith: that all may be one.

Over the past 2,000 years, the Christian Church has been subdivided into three major branches—Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant. From two of those branches have come further offshoots—Greek, Russian, Serbian and Coptic Orthodox, to name just a few, and the myriad of Protestant denominations, including Presbyterian to which we belong. A generation ago, this proliferation of different and diverse groups caused Harry Emerson Fosdick to write that "if we could get our religion with the revivalistic spirit of the Methodists, preserve our religion with the great tradition of the Catholics, regulate our religion with the rules of the Presbyterians, enjoy our religion with the emotional fervor of the Baptists, and pay for our religion with the money of the Episcopalians, the Kingdom of God would be close at hand!"

While we can smile at that statement, the sad truth is that the history of Christianity has been marked with an "us versus them" mentality which has hurt our witness to the world. Fortunately, over the past 50 years, there have been renewed ecumenical efforts to break down the barriers and build the bridges that can bring us back together with believers from the worldwide community of faith. And even more recently, there have been endeavors at interfaith dialogue, for we are two billion Christians on a planet with six billion people and many other religions, and we need to discern by God’s Spirit how to relate to them. It could well be that as we move toward the next millennium, the Lord will show us the wisdom that we need. God knows we have a long way to go, but looking forward, I pray that we will see hope on the horizon for the whole human family on earth.

So as we come to this table on World Communion Sunday, let us celebrate the ties that bind us together with other believers across the earth, including our sisters and brothers of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa who are represented here this morning. And as we eat this bread and drink this cup, let us remember what Jesus prayed for us: that all may be one. His power, which lifts us up and holds us together, is greater than all those forces that would keep us down and tear us apart.

If you believe that today, then remember that this table is set for everyone here. Let us come not with an attitude of "us versus them" but rather with the affirmation that WE—we, all of us—belong to the Body of Christ. And this sacrament reminds us that He continues to pray for us that all may be one. Behold, said the Psalmist, how good it is when the people of God dwell together in unity!

In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.