Unity or Diversity?



Sometimes certain themes keep popping up in front of me so often that I can't keep thinking that it is random. Is that God trying to speak to me? Or is it just that I'm really pondering a subject so I notice it more. Like when you buy a new car and then keep seeing "your car" everywhere. So, for the last few days, the topic that keeps popping up in my sight line is Unity.

This past Sunday, my pastor talked about unity in a sermon about corporate prayer. This morning I heard an extended rant about party unity on my TV news show. And now, reading my devotional for the day, I come across this, from Ignatius of Loyola,

"The most wonderful thing is unity with Jesus and with the Father. In him we shall partake in God if we firmly resist and flee all the arrogant attacks of the prince of this world. Unity of prayer, unity of supplication, unity of mind, unity of expectancy in love and blameless joy: this is Jesus Christ and there is nothing greater than he. Flock together, all of you, as to one temple of God, as to one altar, to one Jesus Christ, who proceeded from the one Father, who is in the one and returned to the one."

Unity is easy - in my fantasy world where everyone is like me, or at least agrees with my good sense and judgment. Unity is hard in the real world. I can't even achieve unity consistently in my marriage which is just two people, one of whom is me, and the other is the person that I share everything with and that I am closest to in the entire world. Given my failures in negotiating dishwasher duty, what chance to we have to achieve unity in our church, or our faith, or our country?

Diversity is revered in the liberal world that I inhabit. And yet, diversity makes unity hard. We all have different experiences, opinions, goals and motivations. How can God expect unity?

Scripture is all about unity, being of like mind and like spirit, being one body in Christ Jesus. How do we achieve this when we start from different poles? I strongly disagree with many other Christians about lots of big issues - abortion, capital punishment, LGBTQ acceptance - and a host of little ones - when to baptise, how to serve communion, organ music in worship (I'm a no. Sorry Bach fans). If Christians can't even agree on this stuff, then what hope do we have in greater society?

Good news? It's only a little bit up to me. But mostly not. Like most good things, God's way ahead of us. Even Jesus was struggling with this question long before me. In his final conversation with God in the garden, John tells us that he addressed this very topic with God,

“I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world." (John 17:20-24)

 So, as far as I can see, since Jesus already requested it, and I can't imagine that God would deny his request, the only thing for me to do to achieve unity is to trust in God (for me, through Christ) and the only thing for you to do is trust in God (however you choose to do this) and, somehow, through God's amazing love, we will be made one. 

 Actually, we already are one. Difference of opinion must not matter. Political affiliation must not matter. Gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity must not matter. Unity in diversity, instead of unity or diversity. Kind of like trail mix - so many different ingredients coming together to make one yummy snack. No ingredient has to give up any of its essence or uniqueness. And the best way to enjoy is to partake of all parts together. That's us! We are already one because of Christ. 




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