A lack of unity is one of the greatest threats against the church, and skeptical and judgmental spirits are the tools used to create this disunity. As Christians, there are certain, non-negational truths that we must all understand. These are the fundamental building blocks of our salvation that cannot be compromised. However, it is often the gray issues of interpretation of the less clear details, and style of incorporation that we become separated, distant, and bitter about.
The Church is one body. I don't think we were ever intended to be segregated into a million different molds. We are called to unity. Aren't we suppose to value and appreciate the uniqueness that God gave each of us, even in our interpretation of worship, and service? Who said we all have to function the same to be correct? And when mistakes are made, why do we runaway as appose to build one another up?
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There is a deep level of judgment and criticism in the church, and I am not exempting myself from this. We're on the same team, but let's be honest, we don't approve of how the other one functions in the church. We don't accept their own approach to their faith, and we don't appreciate their own personal walk with the Lord. Rather we cast judgment because they don't do it the way we have been convicted to do it. We forget that though we are one body, we are many different members, with different walks, different convictions, and different callings.
And in this, this distaste for one another, this judgment for one another, we become useless for God's kingdom. We become divided on trivial matters, using up our energy on what doesn't matter, and neglecting the issues of importance. We become so drained from our encounters inside the church, that we have no recourses left for those outside the church.
We are called to unity greater than our differences and disagreements. If we feel a member of the church is truly being led astray from the core concepts of the Gospel, we are to do as the Bible says and bring it to their attention. Because sometimes, are suspicions are accurate, sometimes, those of us inside the church do get it wrong. But this is not a reason to leave, it is not a reason to judge, condemn, or think poorly of the entire church. It is a opportunity to grow closer to each other and God. We are not without flaw, we are flawed people by our very nature, but the church needs to be there to hold one another up when they fall, not run away for fear of being pulled down too. But we must evaluate if we're truly worried about the state of their soul, or if maybe we are just becoming uncomfortable with the diversity, and threatened by their uniqueness.
Unity is rarely, if ever, something that we find. Unity is created and worked for. Unity may feel messy, it will often feel uncomfortable. But unity is the glue that holds the church together and helps fulfill God's will for His kingdom. Unity knows that we are not the same, unity knows that we have the capacity to make others uncomfortable with our differences, and unity also knows that sometimes we are wrong. Above all of this though, unity blankets these understandings with God's grace and God's love. We are called to unity.
"Do we not all have one father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers?" Malachi 2:10
