Unity in Diversity

As the election draws near so does a sense of urgency. Candidates and supporters are giving their all. Nothing is left on the table. It’s do or die. And in the fight to persuade, battle lines become very apparent. Discussion ensues. Debates intensify. Often there’s more heat than light on what is best for America. This can easily result in division. Blue versus red. Old versus young. Us against them- a family divided... a neighborhood… and even a church. David Platt calls for the church to be unified in the final chapter of his book, Before You Vote: Seven Questions Every Christian Should Ask. Let me tease out the gist of this final chapter entitled, “Am I Eager to Maintain the Unity in the Church?”

This is a relevant question in light of the potential division from the election and how Scripture places great importance on the unity of the church. For example, Paul exhorts Christians to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). And right before Jesus went to the cross he prayed for the believers to be unified, “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believer that you have sent me” (John 17:21). But how can a church be unified when there is a diversity of perspectives on ‘disputable’ issues? A disputable issue is something that is not directly addressed in Scripture. Hence, there are disputes on the issue within the congregation. For example, complex policies can pertain to disputable issues.

Is it realistic to think that a church can be unified over this? Actually, Scripture provides a direct example in Romans 14-15. The church in Rome was divided on a number of disputable issues regarding food and feasting. They disagreed on what days were important to celebrate with a feast. They disagreed on whether it was appropriate to eat certain meat. How did Paul address this division on disputable issues? He could have easily organized local congregations based on their stance on an issue so that each respective congregation would be unified under the issue in dispute. But Paul did not do that. Instead of unifying the church around a disputable issue, Paul unified the church around Jesus. Paul prayed, “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:5-6).

We are called to live out of our core identity in Jesus rather than anything more superficial, like a disputable issue. We identify as Christians first before a political party, race or occupation. And since all believers possess the same core identity in Jesus, we have a basis for unity even in the midst of our diversity. I pray that we will grow in the unity that Jesus calls us to on the basis of a supernatural gospel identity.