the Unity of the Irish

To start, I have to admit my ignorance. Before I landed in Belfast, I had no clue there was a Northern Ireland.  I didn't know it was part of the UK. It was a shock to discover that it wasn't just the northern part of Ireland, but it was a country. I had no clue what to expect, and honestly, my ignorance was fulfilling American stereotypes left and right. Needless to say (with ignorance being my best friend and all) I had absolutely no clue about "The Troubles," of Northern Ireland, even though they are a major focus of my class here in Belfast. 

For those of you who share in my ignorance, The Troubles were a period in Northern Irish history from the 1960s-1990s in which two groups of people with certain political, cultural, and religious identites fought eachother for the future of their nation.  One side, also known as the Catholics, wanted the Northern part of Ireland to be part of the Irish Republic, and another part, also known as the Protestants, wanted the Northern part of Ireland to be part of the United Kingdom.  To simplify an extremely complicated period of history: people with the same cultural, religious, and geographic roots used violence to help establish their own identity.  It is was bloody.  It was brutal.  It was complicated.  It was frustrating, and of course, upon learning more information, it immediately peaked my interest.

I have been intrigued by the Troubles for multiple reasons. One, I am a dude. In general, a lot of dudes like violence.  We are drawn to it like kids are drawn to candy stories, or crack addicts to a crackhouse.  It is why a majority of men will say they love movies like Braveheart, Gladiator, or anything else with violence.  Violence is appealing and fascinating, so clearly the Troubles intrigue me.  

I am also intrigued because the two sides, the political parties fighting here, both claim Christian identities.  One side is the Catholics; the other side is the Protestants. Both of which have roots tracing back to Jesus, and both would, hopefully, consider themselves Christians.  Therefore, somewhere in the family tree, my faith roots are connected with their background.  Both Catholics, Protestants, and myself have religious identity that supposedly stems from Jesus.  Yet, here in Northern Ireland, there are two branches of the same tree fighting over who is more important.  

Lastly, I am intrigued by the fact that their political identities are deeply connected to their religious beliefs (of course we have never experience that in the USA...), and it is these crafted, religioius identities that have shaped and led the violence, hatred, and tension found in the Troubles and in Northern Ireland as a whole.

There are clear problems with all of this. There are obvious problems with violence.  We see it in different areas of the world currently, like the Ukraine and Gaza.  There are problems when people are killed by car bombs, guns, and hatred. It is a problem when babies are murdered and civilians are inhilated. There are problems when some one dies, no matter what side they are on. It means that someone that Jesus loves has been killed. It points to the greater problem of death in the world, and it is a problem.

There are problems when two groups that claim roots and identities in the man who preached love and unity are fighting over their identity. It feels so contrary to everything that Jesus teaches and demonstrates, and as a leader of a group whose mission is to bring unity among Christians (unitednashville.com is my shameless promotion), it is the prime example of the disunity that surrounds the faith.  It bothers me.  It has made me sick in the stomach at multiple points on my trip.  It has made me angry.  It has made me embarassed and ashamed to call myself a christian.  There is a problem when there is conflict between two Christian groups over who is superior, who is correct, who has the better identity.  Even more so, there is a problem when these two groups resort to violence to attempt to fix their problems. There are problems.

And I know, I know, I know that the Northern Irish problem was way more complex than simple religious identities.  I know that it started as a religious problem in the 1600s (yes, the 1600s, before the USA was even a thought), and over time, it shifted from a religioius problem to a way more complex problem.  I know that there is supposed peace in Northern Ireland now. I know that this peace has been going for about 20 years now. (In both cases, I am defining peace as the lack of physical violence).  And I know that it is hard to apply violent, bloody tension in a small country in Europe to the broad scope of an international and ancient faith. But I also know that both sides still claim religious identities, and they both give the world a picture of Christianity (whether good or bad). I also know that interChristian tensions have been around since the first century, and I also know it is all contrary to what Jesus prayed in John 17. I also know that these religious tensions and divide are still under the surface here in N. Ireland. Lastly, I also know that these tensions are factors effecting people around the world who claim to follow Jesus, from Belfast, to Nashville, to Uganda, to Taiwan, and so much more. 

I know that these a problems, and they break my heart. These are problems, and they break the heart of Jesus.

But there is hope.  I truly believe there is hope. I believe unity and peace can be achieved.  It is not just a golden age, idolized goal, that is unobtainable.  Unity is available.   Unity is available when we redefine and understand our identities.  It is what Northern Ireland is currently attempting to do as they seek to provide a new identity in which the people can latch on to. More and more people (mostly younger, college-age folks) are redefining themselves as Northern Irish.  They are latching onto this identity and claiming it proudly. They rally around other Northern Irish people, like Rory McIlroy and Van Morrison. As more and more people stop defining themselves as Protestant, as Catholic, as Loyalist, as Nationalist, and more and more people are starting to define themselves as Northern Irish, unity is being seen.  A unity found because people are being rooted together in the identity of being Northern Irish. 

Likewise, this is how unity can be obtained among Christians.  It is when we stop defining ourselves as Methodist, Catholic, or non-denominational.  It is when we stop defining ourselves as part of Ethos, part of Crosspoint, part of this random church.  It is when we stop defining ourselves as hipster or greek, BYX or GDI, Midnight Worship or Navs. Unity comes from returning to the roots and letting he who is our root define us first and foremost. 

Let him define you. Let him define you as his child.  Let him define you as loved and cherished by the creator of the world.  Let him define you as redeemed and grace soaked. As Christians, we must let Jesus define us as loved first, and everything else comes from it.  Loving and being loved by Jesus is the string that brings unity to fruitition.  It is the reason why I can meet random strangers in St. George's Market and immediately feel bonded with them because they love and are loved by Jesus. It is why I can travel and have a place to stay in multiple countries because I have people connected with me, united with me through the love of Jesus. It is why best friends can occur across campuses in Nashville.  It was how churches can work together to change communities and cities.  It is how Christians can respond to global tragedy with love and support. Unity comes when we redefine ourselves and start identifying ourselves in the love of Jesus, first and always foremost.  Let that be the essentials, and all else can fall into place.

I know this is all super ideological, hopeful, and broad, but I truly believe unity can be obtained.  I believe it because Jesus prayed it, and I have experienced it. I often suck at it.  I often fail at it.  I have bitterness and sinfulness in my heart that can define me and shape me, but I believe that when we strive forward, when we chase Jesus, when we root our identities in his love, then the prayer of John 17 can be played out in this world, from Nashville, to N. Ireland, to the rest of the world and on into Heaven. 

"I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me."

John 17:20-23