The Koinonia Theory

We’re living through a challenging time, and it’s tough to avoid letting the media, news, and culture shape how we, as Christians, respond to everything around us. Every day, the Holy Spirit reminds me that I’m called to be a reflection of God’s light in this world—that I’m called to be salt and light. But I can’t be either if I look or sound like the world. The problem is, God’s way often goes against what feels natural to me.

I’m frustrated that we’re still battling racism and white supremacy. I’m frustrated that the church still struggles with these demonic influences and refuses to embrace what the Bible teaches about how we should relate to one another. I’m frustrated that we refuse to let go of our pride and simply love our neighbors. And I’m talking to all of us. There’s a struggle in America to maintain the centrality of Whiteness or Western ideals, and in response, Black people often fight to be centered too. But what if we’re all wrong? What if none of us should be centered? No matter how much my community has suffered, we don’t “deserve” to be centered. No matter how much White people think they’ve accomplished, they don’t “deserve” to be centered either. As Christians, only Christ should be at the center, and He’s clear in saying He doesn’t favor any of us. The Bible doesn’t say that God favors White people over anyone else. It doesn’t say that Black people should be favored because of their suffering. What we know is that we’re all unworthy but equally loved by God. And since we reflect Him, that’s how we should love one another.

As citizens of this world, living in a country built on religious freedom, we should center humanity. Why? Because “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus didn’t center White people, Black people, Native people, Asian people, or Latino people. He centered human beings. “For God so loved the world” doesn’t say, “For God so loved White people so they could save Black people and others.” Elevating White people above others is unbiblical, just as elevating any other group is.

God’s perspective is clear in the early church, which was designed to be a model for us. The creation of the early church gave birth to Koinonia. What is Koinonia? It means “Christian fellowship or communion with God or with fellow Christians.” The church began with Jewish/Middle Eastern people preaching the gospel in a marketplace full of people from every corner of the world. It started in diversity, with God drawing all men to Himself. So how did we end up with Black churches and White churches? How did we get Black Christian music and White Christian music? Why do we think God is calling us to preserve only our own heritages instead of loving one another with Agape and appreciating the different ways God made us? We’re not reflecting the church God designed.

Right here and right now, I’m introducing a theory that reflects what God truly desires from us. The Koinonia Theory calls us back to God’s original design for the church—a call to live out a sense of belonging in how we interact with everyone. When Peter hesitated to visit Cornelius, a Gentile, God revealed He was moving beyond the old Mosaic covenant and doing something new. He gave Peter a vision, not to tell us we can now eat more bacon (lol) or disregard the law entirely, but to show that He was no longer centering one specific people group. God said, “Do not call anything unclean that God has made clean.” Through the vision, God made it clear that all people, no matter how different, are called to Him. Just as God didn’t want Peter to look down on Cornelius, He doesn’t want us to look down on those who may seem different from us. Within the church, our expressions of love for God may vary, but we all share the same faith in the same Savior.

I’ve shared before how, growing up in White Christian schools, I was taught that Gospel music and anything reflecting my heritage was sinful and inferior. But according to Psalm 150, we are meant to praise God in diverse ways. As long as it elevates the Lord, He welcomes it. No one has the right to tell another group that their culture is unacceptable to God. He never favored one people group above another. Even though Jesus was born a Jew, Christianity was meant for everyone. God stopped favoring one people group when Jesus came, living out a love that called tax collectors, demon-possessed women, and even Pharisees to follow Him.

So how do we get back to living out the Bible’s command to love one another, both within the church and beyond? The Koinonia Theory teaches that the world will know we are Christians by the love we show—our unconditional, non-racist, non-supremacist, and forgiving love toward each other and toward all people. If all the theories and discussions leave you feeling confused as a Christian, remember that “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” His Word is clear about where we stand. When you feel tempted to forget what the Word commands, recall the Koinonia Theory: “…neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” In the midst of all our differences, we are meant to be united in Christian fellowship so the world can see the love of our Savior.