My country just completed a very rancorous election season that seemed as if it would never end. I do not watch television. I do read internet news but my connection is data restricted so I do not watch online video news. Thus, I did not endure what many of you did. However, I know that passions were high and rhetoric on both sides was over-the-top. I appreciate the calls for unity that have come forth from both parties. I despise the calls for continuing the rancor and disunity that have come forth from all sources. I love my country and hate to see it torn apart. However, we Christians face a much more significant issue regarding unity: We must repair the unity that was destroyed inside the church, the Body of Christ. The contempt, disrespect, scorn, and even vitriol did not come from candidates and campaign staff only; some of it came from Christians. The disparaging remarks were not aimed at candidates only; some was aimed at fellow Christians who disagreed over issues and candidates. That is simply unacceptable and grieves the heart of God. Can it be more mocking of us that at this very time we are being called upon to pray for Christians around the world that face starvation, torture, execution, loss of property, etc.? Something is badly wrong with us.
Ephesians 4:1-6 clearly tells us where Christian unity comes from, “Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” (NASU) We are called upon to preserve that which God has put in place. We do that by diligently exercising all humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance. These verses bring to our remembrance that the same Holy Spirit lives in each of us. We will all live in the same heaven one day. We all have the same Lord. We were all saved by the same grace and faith. We were all divinely baptized into the same body. We all have the same God and Father. There is much that divinely unifies us.
Unity in the church is a gift from God. Unity between those who have taken on the name of Christ is a requirement for being in fellowship with God. Unity and agreement are not one-and-the-same-thing. Certainly there are some issues that are to be decided by clearly laid out Biblical principles. I do not have to agree with a brother to be in unity. However, my disagreement does not give me the right to be mean-spirited and less than loving in my disagreement. John 13:34-35 sets a very high standard for my treatment of fellow Christians, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (NASU) Unbelievers will be drawn to Christ if I love other Christians like Christ loves me. There can be no higher standard than that.
Galatians 5:15 gives a sober warning, “But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.” (NASU) Devouring one another is bad but the real tragedy is that it degrades the name of God and ruins our witness of Him.
