The Awesome Wonder of People Living in Unity

As I was growing up, it seemed patriotism was an indispensable quality of being an American. Taking pride in seeing our flag unfurled against an azure sky. Reciting the Pledge of Allegiance – to the United States of America – without feeling abused. These days, however, it often seems our nation is more untied than united. And that makes me sad.

 

That’s not to say I believe the U.S.A. is perfect. Far from it. Or that people don’t have a right to speak out against injustices and inequities they see. After all, the preamble to the Declaration of Independence first declares, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal….” 

This is a noble and reasonable ideal, but I don’t think it can be achieved through disunity. As Jesus Christ told the religious leaders – the Pharisees – who were mustering opposition against His ministry, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a house divided against itself fall” (Luke 11:17). We see this principle being worked out in virtually every aspect of life.

 

If you’re an avid spectator of any sport, you see the importance of unity being emphasized in any contest – at least by the victorious teams. Whether it’s football, basketball, baseball, or even doubles tennis, all championship teams display unity, at least on the field, the court, or in the arena.

 

Years ago, I was in another country, meeting with business and professional men who were trying to build an effective marketplace ministry in their cities. Knowing soccer was the most popular team sport there, I used analogies from soccer to explain how they could achieve unity despite the diversity in their abilities and spiritual gifts.

 

Frankly, all I knew about soccer is what I had observed in watching my daughters participate in the game, but I knew enough. The goalie, defensive players, midfielders and offensive players all have different roles and responsibilities, but they must perform as a unit to win. Conversely, most of the players can do their jobs very well, but if one key player fails, the scoreboard will reflect that.

 

Over my lifetime I’ve had a few health issues – major and minor – that needed to be addressed, so I’ve learned quite a bit about the human body while going to various doctors for treatment and surgery. God created our bodies to be marvelous examples of unity. You could say health is a reflection of a body’s ease, just as disease and sickness is a sign of its “dis-ease.”

 

Years ago, Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey collaborated on several books about the human body, focusing especially on the problems of pain and suffering. If you haven’t read either Fearfully and Wonderfully Made or In His Image, I highly recommend them. They’re still in print and give compelling insights into how the heart, lungs, brain, lungs, kidneys and other organs work together in unity to keep a human being healthy. They also explain how the nervous, vascular, circulatory, skeletal and other systems also must function together to keep a person alive and well.

 

The apostle Paul also alluded to this in exhorting members of the ancient church in the Greek city of Corinth to strive for unity. It’s almost as if he were paging through the medical tome, “Grey’s Anatomy,” as he explained:

“The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink…. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body…. But in fact God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body…” (1 Corinthians 12:12-26).

 

I’ve condensed this insightful passage for brevity, but Paul’s conclusion stands out: “But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (1 Corinthians 12:24-26).

 

If you’ve ever gotten up in the middle of the night and stubbed your toe in the dark, you can understand the “if one part suffers, every part suffers with it” reference. That’s how it is when people are in unity, whether on a sports team, in a nation, or as members of a church congregation. We revel together in our victories, and suffer together in our defeats and hardships.

 

Elsewhere, the apostle again wrote of the priceless value of unity: “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose” (Philippians 2:1-2).

There’s an awesomeness, a sense of wonder when we see people working in unity, pulling together and supporting one another toward the accomplishment of shared values and goals. Would that we could see more of this in our nation, as well as in the body of Christ, despite our differences in doctrine, practice and tradition. 

Unity, Without Uniformity

Despite discord, Times Square displays signs of unity.

My wife and I had the opportunity to spend some time in New York City just days before the Presidential election. As a boy growing up in New Jersey, I used to get into “The City” often, but hadn’t been there for more than 10 years. As we walked and toured around Manhattan, I was impressed once more by the incredible diversity that characterizes the “city that never sleeps.”

A tour bus guide commented that only 2 in every 5 residents of New York City is American-born. This bore itself out as we heard people talk. There were times when it was rare to hear an actual “American” accent. (Even of the “New Yawk” variety.) We saw people of virtually every ethnicity, and as for fashion, it was clear that in the Big Apple, anything and everything goes.

Yet, in the midst of the diversity there were unifying factors. American flags hung from many buildings, often more than one. In the heart of Times Square, a brightly lit flag gleamed in its red, white and blue. We made our initial visit to the Statue of Liberty, and its symbolism of freedom and liberty seemed strong.

This poster at a 9/11 memorial museum
captures the spirit we need.

Going to Ellis Island, also for my first time, scenes and photographs reminded us of the countless thousands of immigrants who were processed there sharing a common goal – to experience a better life, one much better than they’d known in their homeland. All of my grandparents had passed through those halls early in the 1900s, so it was a poignant time for me.

So now, with the 2016 Presidential election campaign mercifully over, hopefully along with much of its rancor, vitriol and antagonism, it’s time for people across America to refocus on who we have been – and who we should continue to be – the UNITED States of America. We seem to have become “Untied” for too long.

At the same time, we must understand that unity does not, and should not, mean uniformity. With the blessed diversity we can observe in our nation’s great cities and increasingly, even our small towns, it’s important to recognize we can be different and yet celebrate spirit of genuine unity.

This applies especially for those of us who profess to be disciples of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul wrote powerfully about this to the church in ancient Philippi: “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose” (Philippians 2:1-2).

I purposely highlighted the words “if” and “then” in the passage, because it’s what is known in the world of grammar as a conditional statement – if certain things are true, then a specific conclusion should follow.

An enduring symbol
for liberty - and unity.

Within the body of Christ that we affectionately call “the Church,” there is great diversity. Not only in terms of age, gender, ethnicity and other demographics, but also doctrines, traditions, worship styles, music, and other factors that shape our beliefs and practices. But as Paul also wrote, it’s important not to let those differences create wide, uncrossable divides. He wrote to the church in Corinth, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Don’t major in the minors.

As followers of Jesus, we can fall into the trap of participating in the continued stoking of the fires of division and discord. Or we can strive to find and nurture bonds that make for unity, while acknowledging we’re not asked nor called to insist on uniformity.

This does not mean sacrificing our convictions or compromising our faith, but it does involve recognizing there is beauty in diversity – a quality Jesus knew so well. After all, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). And it’s one big, wonderful, diverse world.