Together, communities accomplish amazing things! We support families in need with food trains and carpools, we clean up debris in our neighborhood after a storm, and we raise money for our neighbor going through cancer treatment. But it’s safe to say that we’re seeing division all over our community right now. We say to ourselves, “It’s too bad people can’t see the bigger picture.” (Because it’s almost impossible for us to admit that we’ve contributed to the division too!) She disagree with usafter all. If only they would listen. If only they would understand. If only I could change their minds!
In this time of division, I am reminded of the places throughout Scripture where unity is emphasized. One of Paul’s letters to the church in Corinth stands out to me in particular: “Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live together in harmony, so that there are no divisions among the church, but that you be of the same mind and of one accord” (1 Corinthians 1:10). This one verse says, “Stop arguing,” four different ways. It’s hard to stick to one opinion when we’re so fixated on changing someone else’s mind.
Unity seems impossible in the face of all our divisions, but Christians are called to it nonetheless. In fact, we have the most important thing in common: our love for Jesus Christ. Our love for Jesus obliges us to love our neighbor. Paul says in the same letter: “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, some are free. But we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, and we all have the same Spirit in us.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)
The body of Christ is one, it just cannot be divided. Some of us are United Methodists, some are Baptists, some believe this about Scripture, some believe that about women in ministry, but believe it or not, we all share the same Spirit of God and nothing can change that. Let’s stop trying to change each other’s minds (because we won’t, and that’s not what we’re called to do) and start changing the way we think about each other: as one body with the same goal of giving hope to a world that desperately needs it. Enough of the divisions – we have work to do!
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