One

“ There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” ~ Ephesians 4:4–6

We live in a world of choices. Each choice requires us to make a decision. To judge between a set, or series of, options and select one. Every day we choose what to wear, what to eat, and what to do. Sometimes our choices have minimal consequences. They might reflect the mood of the moment or a current desire or hunger we are experiencing. Sometimes choices have a huge effect on who we are and where we go. In our choices we reveal our purpose, our direction, the authority we honor, and the people we desire to be.

One of my favorite quotes is found in the book, Alice in Wonderland. Alice has chosen to go down a rabbit hole. Walking through a crazy, mixed up world, she has and encounter. Lewis Carroll writes, “One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. ‘Which road do I take?’ she asked. ‘Where do you want to go?’ was his response. ‘I don’t know,’ Alice answered. ‘Then,’ said the cat, ‘it doesn’t matter.” How true! Our choices lead us somewhere, and if we don’t know where we are going, our choices can’t get us there.

As Paul writes to the church in Ephesus, he wants them to know where they are going and how to get there. So he writes about “One.” Paul knows that we will make choices every day, but will those choices lead us to the right place? Paul tells us that there is one Lord who is our authority. He has a destination in mind for us. Paul tells us that there is one faith, a true way to think about and live with God. Paul says that there is one baptism that will lead us to surrender ourselves into the power of God. Paul says that one God exists in all places and in all times. This idea of “One” draws a clear destination for people who will follow Jesus. We make every choice based on living with Jesus and being His. In choosing the “One” we choose life, surrender, and transformation.