As described in MWR’s review of the year, Mennonite Church USA members are asking a question: Will we walk together?

In 2014 the question got harder to answer. Disagreement over same-sex relationships makes the path ahead look rough. A new point of conflict, whether conferences can affirm gay and lesbian pastors, has added another hill to climb. Ideas for how to smooth it out, expected in 2015 from a committee studying church structures, are eagerly awaited.

Will we walk together? Some have answered already. Departures of congregations continued in 2014. Some may make choices in the coming year.

One step toward deciding whether to keep on walking together is to ask how much agreement we need, or what we need to agree on, to stay on the same path.

A fragment of Scripture that’s sometimes cited in this regard is Amos 3:3. The King James Version puts it this way: “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” It seems that this is often understood to justify separating: People who disagree shouldn’t walk together. Or it might be an observation with an implied conclusion: People who disagree usually don’t walk together, and we shouldn’t expect them to.

But we should take a closer look at what Amos is saying. What kind of agreement is he talking about?

The meaning becomes clearer in other translations. The New International Version says: “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” The Revised Standard Version says: “Do two walk together unless they have made an appointment?”

It appears Amos actually is saying two can walk together when they choose to. That’s obvious, perhaps, but the point is that a shared journey doesn’t happen by accident. You have to decide to do it. The walkers have to agree to be companions.

The journey might be easier with common goals and beliefs. But the choice to walk together doesn’t depend on any other specific agreement.

A second question is just as important: Who is Amos talking about? In context, he is referring to God and Israel. The question about walking together comes near the beginning of a passage where God is putting Israel on trial for its unfaithfulness. Amos is the prosecuting attorney.

Listen to God’s indictment, Amos says: I chose you from among all the nations. You promised to serve me and no other gods. We made a cov­enant. We agreed to walk together. I led you out of slavery, through the wilderness to a fruitful land. I stayed with you every step of the way. I kept my promises, but you have broken yours. Therefore you deserve your punishment.

Can two walk together, except they be agreed? When we ask this, we should think of the “two” as God and us. Are we keeping our part of the covenant? What word from the Lord would Amos speak if we were on trial? Have we made an appointment to walk with God? A shared journey won’t happen without a decision.

After we answer those questions, then we will be better able to say whether we will walk with our fellow church members in 2015.