Unity
One of life’s greatest experiences is to be in a state of unity with others, though it is not easily attained. Regarding national unity, President Woodrow Wilson once stated: “You cannot become thorough Americans if you think of yourselves in groups. America does not consist of groups. A man who thinks of himself as belonging to a particular national group in America has not yet become an American…”. Regrettably, we in the U.S. are living proof of the veracity of President Wilson’s statement, as we struggle along in pathetic disunity.
One major principle of the unified is found in Amos 3:3: “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” God was making a point through Amos and used this verse as an example of an unequivocal “no”. Without agreement, two parties or national groups simply and emphatically cannot walk together in unity.
Not so, many years ago, there would often be bipartisan agreement for the good of the American people. What was driving the ability in our government to agree then? Very simply, there was still enough of the knowledge of God among our people so as to try to do the right thing. However, without the knowledge of God, commonality evaporates into disunity.
Based on that, how do we explain the disunity within God’s one Church today? Do we not — the various groups both large or small — still have a basic knowledge of God and His truths as they are revealed in scripture? What holds us back from seeing ourselves as one group under Christ? Solomon wrote: “By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom” (Proverbs 13:10). Pride drives strife and disunity.
We find, therefore, that we must have the knowledge of God with humility if we are to be a part of the solution. Christ dealt with the same issues among His disciples as we find among ourselves today. “Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves’” (Luke 22:24–27). The solution to disunity isn’t complicated or difficult to the humble who seek to emulate Christ, our Head. That is what the unified will do.
Marshall Stiver
