Unity, Uniformity
My Dear People,
"... that they may become completely one, so that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me..."
Completely one.
Jesus prayed thus for his disciples the night before he went to the Cross. Which is to say, the night before his Passion, Jesus prayed thus for all his followers, throughout the ages: he was praying for me and for you, that we would be completely one.
Completely.
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Now, we have to remind ourselves periodically (if not daily, sometimes) that unity and uniformity are not the same thing, thank goodness. And, truth is, we get the two confused often, indeed very often.
As Sojourners has put it, "God is not a Republican. Or a Democrat."
Nor is God a "liberal." Or a "conservative."
Nor does God have a preference between "traditional" music and "contemporary" music; between cats and dogs; or between beer and wine, for that matter.
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Uniformity of thought or belief or values is a fantasy; and, in truth, uniformity would be, if it were real, a nightmare, with a stultifying sameness stretching out in all directions and into eternity.
On the other hand, the unity we have in Christ is rooted in the love we share, namely the love of God, for each and every one of us. We are family. We are the family of God's beloved; and nothing need, and nothing should, intrude on or interrupt that unity.
When we do in fact allow some difference of opinion to come between us, what does that say about the Gospel, and about Christ? Would we make Christ and his Gospel so puny, so petty?
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May our love for one another be as Christ prayed it would be: 1) complete; and thus 2) a witness to the world.
Christ is watching; and so is the world.
Your brother in Christ,
Wallace+
