Eero Huovinen (Bishop of Helsinki)
Vesper in the Cathderal of Helsinki
Special Commission of WCC 30.5.2002

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and trough all and in all. (Eph. 4:1-6)
Sisters and brothers in Jesus Christ

Tonight the Word of God from the Letter to Ephesians is firstly an invitation, advice, exhortation, even a command to us. We Lutherans would say the word is a word of law. Apostle asks and begs us to lead a life according to our calling, that means a life in humility, gentleness, and patience. I suppose the apostle was at his time fully aware, how difficult it is to tolerate others, how difficult to love them, how difficult to seek unity and stay in unity. Even as Christians and members of our churches we need to continually strive to promote love and unity with other children of God. That’s why the apostle is saying that we have to make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit, we have to bear one another in love.

He says to us tonight in this Cathedral: ”I… beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” This is the exhortation and command from the apostle to us.

But secondly, the Word of God is a promise, a gift, a word of the gospel. The apostle says, that there is one God and one Spirit, already before all our efforts and attempts. This order is very important: God is there before our deeds, works, acts and actions, even before our faith and spirituality. All unity is based in the reality of our Heavenly Father, in the reality of the triune God.

That’s why the Word of God tonight is not only advice or a command, but most deeply a word of gospel, a word of promise and consolation, a word of hope and future. Everything in our life, in our churches, in our world, even in our cosmos is in the hands of our Lord. That’s why the unity finally is a gift of the Spirit – thanks to God!

”There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and trough all and in all.”

Eero Huovinen