What Does Church Unity Actually Look Like?
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We live in a world that is broken and divided. People have drawn clear lines of distinction and stepping over those lines is akin to betraying your own and embracing the enemy. While I might understand and even expect that type of behavior from people in the world, sadly, that same type of behavior has seeped into the church. Not only is the world divided, sometimes churches are just as divided. This is a sad and genuine tragedy.
Before Jesus went to the cross, one of the last prayers he prayed was that we would be one. Obviously, he knew this would be a problem. Over two thousand years have passed since Jesus prayed that prayer. While the church has been a lot of things during that timeframe, unfortunately, being one has not always been one of those things.
You don’t have to look very far for proof. Just drive through your town and look at all the different churches you find. Multiple churches with multiple denominations. Some of these churches are literally right next door to each other. I grew up in Brooklyn, NY and I can tell you there are blocks that literally have eight or nine churches on them. Most of these are small churches, each with only a handful of people. I often wonder, wouldn’t these churches be more effective if they worked together instead of each operating in their own silo? However, for that to happen, that would require these different denominations come together as one. Maybe that is the problem.
Since Jesus prayed for us to be one, that means it is possible. He wasn’t just saying it; he meant it. Since it is possible, then what would church unity actually look like? I will be honest, the answer to the question is a lot easier than the execution. But since Jesus prayed it, then it can be done. Let’s look at what it would take for that to happen.
Church Unity Requires a Commitment to Pray Together
There will never be unity in the church without a commitment to pray for and with each other. You cannot be committed to prayer and committed to not being unified with your brother or sister. One of those things will give way. I know for certain if you are seeking God with your whole heart, he will move you to tear down those divisions. The reason is that it is impossible to agree together in prayer with someone you don’t like or get along with.
Most of the time, the people you don’t like are those with whom you disagree. When the church comes together and commits to pray, it requires that you put disagreements aside – especially because you are seeking a greater purpose.
“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24).
Simply put, you cannot pray and seek God together in one breath and be divided in the next. A body that operates in that fashion will never fully display God's power and glory. When you consider the church in the book of Acts, one thing they had in common was they were committed to praying together. It was that unity of heart and oneness in prayer that allowed this small group of people to make such a difference in the world. If the church today makes the same commitment, we can make the same difference.
Church Unity Requires a Greater Focus on the Eternal over the Temporary
Let’s be honest, most of the things that divide the church are usually temporary, non-essential matters. If you do a simple Google search, you will find some interesting (I will add silly) things church members fight over, many times leading to people leaving. Here are a few I found.
- Arguments over the type of coffee to be served in the church
- Complaints because of the type of juice used in communion
- Disagreements over the length of the pastor’s beard
- Should they serve deviled eggs in the church?
On the surface and far removed, you can see these seem like silly arguments – and at the core they are. Even if you believe the disagreement is worthwhile, you must ask yourself, does it have real value in light of eternal matters? Or are you arguing over something that will be here today and gone tomorrow?
Even things you may deem more worthy of fighting over, such as who you vote for, what day you worship, or what type of music you sing in the service, are all temporary things that have no value in light of eternity. Are these things important? Yes. Are they worth dividing over? No.
If there is going to be church unity, then we must lay aside many of these temporary things, which are only distractions from the true mission Jesus assigned us to. No one is going to come to Christ because of the coffee you serve in the church, the length of the pastor’s beard, or because the song you sang was too fast or slow.
However, if you still feel you must divide over temporary issues, before you choose that route, ask yourself these two questions.
Will this make a difference in someone’s eternal destiny?
If the answer is no, then you are dividing over a temporary issue, and it is not worth it at all.
Will this impede their ability to follow Christ?
If the answer is yes, then you need to let it go, not just for your own sake but for that of your brother or sister.
Having issues and disagreements in the church is not new. The problem is how we handle them. When we fight, argue, and divide, then these issues become stumbling blocks. Ultimately, we show we care more about our position than how that position affects our brother or sister. When that is the reality, then we are proving we place a higher priority on temporary issues over eternal ones. This will never create unity in the church.
“Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall” (1 Corinthians 8:13).
If my actions or position on a matter cause my brother or sister to fall, then they don’t need to change. I do. This type of thinking is dying in the church because we care more about being right than how our opinions and actions affect those around us. When we care more about the eternal things over things that are here today and gone tomorrow, then we can start taking steps toward unity in the church.
Church Unity Requires a Willingness to Accept Our Differences
If you think church unity means we must agree on everything, you are wrong. Church unity is not seeing eye to eye on everything. That is boring anyway. Church unity is being able to have different thoughts, ideas, and opinions but not allowing those things to create division. One of my best friends in the world, who is like a brother to me, doesn’t agree with me on everything. Sometimes, we have some strong disagreements and opinions. However, we have never divided over them because we allow room to know that we won’t always see things the same way and we don’t have to. There are some things you will see differently than your brother or sister, and that is okay. We used to call it agreeing to disagree, but I am not sure people do that anymore.
The church is a cornucopia of people from all walks of life, traditions, cultures, nationalities, and socio-economic levels. We don’t all come from the same place. While this should be a source of strength, often it becomes a point of division.
Instead of cherishing the traditions and insights of others, we often reject them because that is not the way we do things here. This type of thinking does not strengthen the body, it limits it and creates a point of weakness.
Church unity does not require us to do the same thing the same way all the time. What it requires is for us to embrace the differences between those around us. When we do, we open the door for people from every tribe, tongue, and nation to feel welcome in our churches. When people feel welcome, unity is possible. Without it, then it will never happen.
Final Thought
I hope you are praying like Jesus that we would be one. Beyond praying, I also hope you are working towards making it happen. This is arduous work, but it is necessary work. If we don’t do it, then the church will never have the impact for Christ this world so desperately needs. Like I said before, that is a sad and genuine tragedy.
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35).
Photo credit: Unsplash/Sam Balye
