En Christo

 February 22 2026

The 1% That Changes Everything 

(Romans 8:31-39)

 

The Parable of the Golden Gate Bridge

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, there is a famous piece of religious dark humor from the comedian Emo Philips that illustrates our human nature perfectly.

Imagine a man standing on the edge of the Golden Gate Bridge, ready to jump. Another man runs up to him and screams, "Stop! Don’t do it!" "Why shouldn’t I?" the first man asks. The second man says, "Because there is so much to live for! Are you a religious man?" "Yes," the first man says. "Me too! Are you a Christian or a Buddhist?" "A Christian." "Me too! Are you Protestant or Catholic?" "Protestant." "Me too! What denomination?" "Baptist." "Me too! Are you Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?" "Northern Baptist." "Me too! Are you Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?" "Northern Conservative Baptist." "Me too! Are you Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region or Eastern Region?" "Great Lakes Region." "Me too! Are you Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Council of 1912?" The first man replies, "Council of 1912." The second man’s face turns to a scowl. He screams, "Die, heretic!"—and pushes him off the bridge.

It’s a funny story, but it is a painful mirror. It shows how we humans tend to focus on the 1% of difference rather than the 99% of shared faith. Do you see this in your own life? What is that "1% difference" that makes your relationships difficult? Division and disputes are not new. In the Roman church, they were struggling with these exact issues. Paul wrote this letter to solve that problem, and my prayer is that his words help us today, too.

 

The 1% Difference in the Roman Church

Over the last few weeks, we have looked at the Gospels and Acts. If you want to see the Kingdom of God, you read the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). If you want to see the "Gospel of Life and Light," you read John. If you want the history of the Holy Spirit in the early church, you read Acts. But if you want to learn Theology, you read Romans.

Romans is the "heavyweight" book of the Bible. It isn't always easy to read, but it contains the core truths every Christian should know. Think of the giants of our faith who were transformed by this book:

• St. Augustine was a man lost in his old habits until he read Romans 13:13-14, which told him to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ." He became a new person.
• Martin Luther, the father of the Reformation, found the answer to his lifelong struggle with guilt in Romans 1:17: "The righteous shall live by faith."
• John Calvin, the father of the Presbyterian tradition, built his understanding of God's sovereignty on Romans 9.
• John Wesley, our own father of Methodism, was a failed missionary with a weak faith until he sat in a meeting on Aldersgate Street. As he heard someone reading Luther’s Preface to the Epistle to the Romans, his heart was "strangely warmed."

Why did Paul write this masterpiece? The church in Rome was unique. Paul didn't start it. It likely grew from witnesses who returned from Pentecost or through people like the centurion Cornelius. Because there was no centralized "Bible" yet, the church was divided. 

  

There were at least three major divisions. First, they fought over food restrictions. Jewish Christians kept the kosher laws; Gentile Christians called them "legalists." Second, Jewish Christians had a privilege complex because of circumcision, while Gentile Christians had spiritual arrogance, thinking God had rejected the Jews to choose them. Finally, some accused Paul of being anti-Jewish and anti-Law.

To fight this division, Paul laid out his theology. Those crises turned into a great opportunity to have a good theology book. Even today, we see this. We have division, too. However, we can solve this problem through Paul’s letter.

 

Paul’s Solution: "En Christo"

The Greek phrase "En Christo"—In Christ—is the heartbeat of every letter Paul wrote. It appears over 160 times! To Paul, being "In Christ" isn't a one-time event; it is a continuous, living union. Faith is a verb, not a noun.

Paul’s logic is simple:

1. We are all equal in our sin. Romans 3:9 says there is no distinction. This destroys the "99% difference" of our pride.
2. We are all equal in God's love. Today's text declares that nothing can separate us from His love—not trouble, hardship, persecution, death, life, any power, height, depth, or anything else.
3. We are one body. Romans 12, 14, and 15 explain that our differences are not "wrongs" to be corrected, but "diversity" to be celebrated.

 

The 1% Similarity That Overcomes the 99% Difference

Do you believe that being a child of God is enough to keep us together, even when everything else is different? When my son was in the first grade, he played soccer. After he scored a beautiful goal, a mother next to me said, "Your son is wonderful!" When I told my son later, he was shocked. He asked, "How did she know you were my mom?" He was the only Korean child on the field. To everyone else, the race difference was obvious. But to him, he was just part of the team. That 1% identity—being a teammate—was so strong that he didn't even "see" the 99% of physical differences.

  

We see this in the Olympics, too. Alysa Liu (Chinese heritage) and Chloe Kim (Korean heritage) represent the USA. Eileen Gu (born in the USA) chose to compete for China. What binds them? It isn’t their DNA; it is the 1% of their identity as a representative of their nation.

 

The Ash Wednesday Mirror

What conflict are you facing today? In our church, we have different politics, backgrounds, and values. If we look only at the 99% of visible differences, a million things can pull us apart. But the 1% that makes us one is our identity In Christ.

Think back to this past Ash Wednesday. When I looked out and saw you with ash crosses on your foreheads, it was breathtaking. I apologize that I didn't mix the oil and ash perfectly—some of you had "ash tears" running down your noses! But despite our different eyes, hair, and clothes, we were all marked by the same cross. It reminded me of the "sealing" of the saints in Revelation.

Because we have received this inseparable love, we must refuse to let go of the "love-string" that connects us to our neighbors.

Tomorrow, February 23, is the commemoration of Polycarp, an early Bishop. When he was 86, the Romans told him he would be spared if he denied Jesus. He replied: "Eighty-six years have I served Him, and He has never abandoned me. How then can I abandon my King and Savior?" Polycarp knew his 1% identity. He was In Christ.

 

 

Our Fast and Feast Prayer

During this Lent, how will you practice this love? We shared Fast and Feast Prayers during the service on Ash Wednesday. Here is my version of the Fast and Feast:

• Fast from worrying; Feast on 30 minutes of deep prayer.
• Fast from discouragement; Feast on encouragement in our online devotion group.
• Fast from self-concern; Feast on writing one card a day to others.

What is your version?

May God pour His steadfast love upon us. May our 1% identity "In Christ" be so powerful that it overcomes all our differences. We are not the men on the bridge, pushing each other away. We are the family of God, held together by a love that never ends.

We are one in Christ! Amen.

 

Polycarp (Bishop of Smyrna, Martyr)’s Prayer

 

Lord God Almighty,

I bless You for counting me worthy of this hour to share in the cup of Your Christ.

 I praise You that I am held fast in an everlasting love

that no fire can consume and no death can overcome.

I am convinced that nothing in all creation can separate me

from the victory already won in Your beloved Son.

I surrender my life into Your hands, for I am Yours, now and unto the ages of ages. Amen.