Unity is commanded, and even prayed for, in scripture. Uniformity is not.
That causes a lot of problems for churches, especially churches of Christ. We only understand unity in terms of uniformity. How can a group be unified if they aren’t uniform – if they don’t look the same, act the same, talk the same, worship the same, and believe exactly the same thing? That is why in my town, Bowling Green, there are so many different churches of Christ.
Uniformity is easy for us, but true unity – unity that is found in diversity – is hard. It is real hard. I believe that is why Jesus prayed for it so much in John’s gospel account. That is why just about all of Paul’s letters deal with the subject. It was hard then, and it is hard now. Diversity can cause conflict and we don’t like conflict. But I believe that for us to be true churches of Christ there has to be some diversity. I once heard Randy Harris say that one of the characteristics of a healthy church is that there be a little bit of conflict in the body. He says that if there is no conflict then you have given up trying to build relationships with people different than you.
I believe the church needs the red, yellow, black and white. I believe the church needs two different kind of blue-haired Christians (the old ones that can’t help it and the young ones that can, hahaha). I believe the church needs some very solemn, contemplative worshippers, but they also need some hand-raising clappers in worship. I believe the church desperately needs some diveristy. When the world looks at the church and they see a whole bunch of people who are exactly the same all getting along, they don’t see anything special. BUT, when the world looks at a church full diverse people, from all different walks of life, all getting along and loving each other, they are seeing something truly special. They are seeing a witness to the power and validity of Christ. Isn’t that what Jesus means when he says that the world will know that you are my disciples when you truly love one another? Isn’t that what he means when he prays to the Father that all believers become one so that the world would believe that Jesus was sent by God?
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