Unity With Diversity

Here are some more thoughts by Barbra Stricker that you might enjoy. The subject here is unity. What is true unity? Unity with diversity is a biblical concept. But how do we achieve it? Can we ever be unified without everybody stepping down off of the throne of their own life and yielding to the throne of God in that life? Unity outside of Christ is even dangerous sometimes. Unity must be based in the knowledge of God and God’s will for man. We are such a diverse people, even in the church, that unity is must be directed towards the will of God. Here's Barbara.

“Unity that, though proclaiming its allegiance to other believers, just sort of sits there quivering and occupying the same general global space is not unity at all.

Unity is not some kind of spiritual puppy love where its participants behold one another with a kind of doe-eyed wonder, willfully ignorant of one another's shortcomings. But neither is it to be compared to the bad marriage, let's-just-stay-together-for-the-kids'-sake type of battle-worn existence that sees little value in those who, while sharing the same household and name, hold few of the same goals or purposes.

Genuine unity is more closely akin to the marriage that has survived the bumps and bruises of both puppy love and the realization that differences are greater than anticipated and, having survived, chooses to bloom.

The Church has survived doctrinal wars, mode of worship conflicts, and governmental disagreements. She has borne the bruises of separation into denominational camps and the name calling that naturally followed.
She has endured the kidnapping of members, the rejection and face-turning away, and the snide remarks. She has trembled in hurt and indignation - both righteous and otherwise. Now she must move on. She must move on to maturity, and maturity cannot be achieved while bypassing the unity that God designed to be the very heart of the Church.

Genuine unity is not feeling, but function. It is corporate movement designed to accomplish a pre-selected purpose, and one which deems the purpose and goal to be of higher value and worth than any differences or supposed incompatibilities of its members. Unity shares a common agenda and programs that, while different, are overlapping and supportive.

The Church fails to enter into blood-bought unity whenever she places secondary - not to say unimportant - issues before essential ones. The Church has historically failed to enter into unity when she failed to recognize that like mindedness is not achieved by logic, reasoning, or persuasion alone. The Church is a theocracy, not a democracy. When the majority rules, God's leadership, which would foster unity, is abandoned. It is perfectly possible to hold a doctrinally correct position and still fail to enter into God's purposes for a doctrinally divided people. It is not necessary to accept unbiblical compromise in order to find His narrow way. The way of the Lord is narrow, but it is also healing and light and life giving. It will not end in spiritual divorce.

Unity allows for different levels of understanding and appropriation of biblical truths. It allows for different life experiences. But it allows, yea, insists upon recognition of our Lord's purpose to unite the disparate. Those whom He called, He called to maturity in Jesus Christ.

That we be henceforth no more children,
tossed to and fro, and carried about
with every wind of doctrine,
by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness,
whereby they lie in wait to deceive.

But speaking the truth in love,
may grow up into Him in all things,
which is the head, even Christ:

From whom the whole body fitly joined together
and compacted by that which every joint supplieth,
according to the effectual working
in the measure of every part,
maketh increase of the body
unto the edifying of itself in love.

Ephesians 4:14-16

Unity may not march in lock step, but if it does not, it is at least out on the parade grounds practicing!”