Church unity in a polarized world
It would be a gross understatement to say we live in an age of division. One only needs to look at world events, read the national or international news, or observe the tone in their own community and networks to see that division and polarization dominate. Small upstart news apps are being created in an effort to provide balanced news by declaring the “leaning” of news reports, all because it is hard to find news that isn’t polemic—strongly attacking (or defending) an opinion in its presentations and conclusions.
Communication expert Deborah Tannen has said that we live in an “age of argument.” It’s a world where people refuse to listen to one another; instead, demonizing each other’s perspectives and habitually oversimplifying and distorting competing views.
Much of this is fueled by an extreme individualism that is driven—even ruled—by the inner self, rendering anything objective (or even “natural”) as less relevant, malleable, and too uncertain to trust.
Yet Christians live in the world
It’s in this world that we, as Christians, are called to live. Interestingly, Jesus was extremely specific in his prayer to the Father in John 17 that God should not remove us from a place like this. This is the world we are in, and this is the world in which we are called to make disciples.
While we could spend our time lamenting or running from the spirit of the day, this culture also affords us opportunities to build the kingdom. I fully recognize there is an appropriate time and place for us to distance ourselves in spirit from culture to prevent it from ruling in our hearts or churches. Still, I wonder if, in our concern for that safety, we miss the opportunity and responsibility that lie underneath Jesus’ request of the Father to leave us here.
I think we are given the assignment to leverage the spirit of the age for the cause of the gospel. In Acts 17, that is exactly what the Apostle Paul did as he talked to the philosophers on Mars Hill, understanding where they came from and the conclusions they had drawn, and using that to turn their hearts to the truth.
For at the root of all human experience lie the same core needs. No matter how the current age defines a good life, such a life is ultimately rooted in the shared human need to live as we were originally created (whether or not one sees or acknowledges that).
Further, our common struggle with sin that broke our world has created a rift between God and us, and between us and God’s intention for us (including our relationships with others). This is at the core of both the efforts and the angst of our culture’s worldview and its efforts for a “good life.”
A culture of disunity
There is little question that the church is swimming in this culture of disunity. Division is pervasive—from the surface and the way people talk, to the underlying principles and philosophies which have been progressing and shaping values for several hundred years. And the divides are complete—there is very little left in the middle ground.
Additionally, differences are now moralized, spiritualized, and weaponized to the point where even talking about unity is divisive.
As a result, people are isolated, confused and angry—even in families and in the church. But, at the foundation of our faith is something that can heal and give hope. While the foundation of a worldview that individualizes us has little hope, it also provides fertile ground for a robust message of hope. So again, I say that this cultural disunity is something that the church can leverage, not just something we should lament.
The church has a chance to show the world that differences do not need to mean division, destruction, self-sabotage, isolation or hopelessness. In fact, robust biblical unity thrives on diversity and embraces many differences.
Unity in diversity as a strength
We have both a responsibility and an opportunity to leverage this cultural disunity. Yes, there is risk, but there is also opportunity. And that opportunity requires us first to understand and express how diversity in unity is a strength in the church, for that is core to our message of hope.
The church has a chance to show the world that differences do not need to mean division, destruction, self-sabotage, isolation or hopelessness. In fact, robust biblical unity thrives on diversity and embraces many differences.
At the risk of oversimplification, I would suggest that a biblically robust unity is not seen in uniformity or unanimity, but rather in blessing and leveraging appropriate diversity, while being anchored in the gospel of Jesus, for the purpose of building his kingdom and experiencing the fullness of his joy.
That is no light and easy calling, but it is clearly possible as Christians follow the lead and equipping of our Saviour. But what must we do to swim against the flow of culture in churches in a unity-building manner? I would like to make a few suggestions for you to consider in moving toward this kind of unity. I will simply mention these and leave the more detailed consideration for you. I acknowledge that this short list is not exhaustive, but it is a start for our consideration.
Rethinking maturity
First, I would suggest that we need to rethink our perspective on maturity. For most of my church leadership experience, I have considered maturity in God’s church to be evidenced by tenure, stability, sound theology, and independence, or strength.
While those are, for the most part, honourable pursuits, in Ephesians 4, Paul aligns maturity with biblical unity (Ephesians 4:2–6, 13–16). In fact, it is an immature church that fights over secondary issues and preferences.
Christian maturity isn’t merely about knowing Christian doctrine or being up on the latest movement in the Christian subculture. Maturity is about how we live; it’s about how we love; it’s about how we treat people—including the people whom we may be at odds with. I will not take time to unpack those verses further, but I encourage you to spend some time in that chapter considering the implications of how Paul connects maturity and unity in the church.
On an individual level, as leaders, maturity is often perceived to be exhibited in strength and authority. I must say this clearly: authority is not maturity! Dropping the “authority” card more often reflects immaturity and bad leadership than maturity and godly leadership, especially in the church.
Please put unity back into your vision of maturity. Unity needs to given its proper place of priority in the work of God.
Rejecting inappropriate independence
We also need to work hard to reject inappropriate independence. While there may be a healthy interdependence for us as churches, we are part of the singular Body of Christ. No one part is independent of all others. In a physical body, if any part rejects its shared existence and partnership with the rest of the body, death is inevitable. Independence is not part of our calling as we serve God’s church.
As we move away from independence and reassert unity, we will also need to embrace healthy and biblical diversity. As Richard Twiss has rightly said, “You can’t have unity without diversity.”
What does it mean to embrace diversity?
Diversity is part of the unique and beautiful nature of biblical unity and of God’s work in creation. Romans 14 gives us a good picture of how to navigate differences, doing so with a self-aware humility marked by good emotional intelligence, deference, and self-sacrifice, while still being allowed to hold on to our personal convictions.
We must rediscover the realm of faithful and appropriate disagreement, held and communicated in a gracious God-honouring way.
Embracing healthy and biblical diversity is a great way of recognizing the intrinsic value of every person without requiring debilitating and demeaning uniformity. Only the Christian faith and the gospel can navigate such a balance.
We must rediscover the realm of faithful and appropriate disagreement, held and communicated in a gracious God-honouring way. We must stop demonizing diversity and difference and even disagreement and learn again their value and power in the life of the church. Not every disagreement or division in the church is necessarily a break in unity. Still, all disagreements must be handled with biblical wisdom and grace.
Leaders as models
As leaders, we must model this kind of appropriate unity—even as we stand firm in defence of the essentials. Richard Langer and Tim Muehlhof, in Winsome Conviction, suggest, “The mission of the church is not defined by its organizational unity. Rather its unity arises from its mission” (p 179).
If we, as the church, can put unity back into its place, with its biblical definition of thriving in the midst of diversity, it will model for the world a number of things.
First and foremost, it shows the priority of the gospel as we unite and anchor in that. Our ability to unite in the core essentials of Jesus and the gospel is telling to a world that lacks any substantial foundation. It exhibits the power of the truth of the gospel.
Unity in diversity also strengthens the body of Christ through that diversity. Richard Lints, in his excellent book Uncommon Unity, says, “getting outside our cultural cocoons of partisanship is likely to give us deeper and richer applications” (p. 232).
Further, a robust biblical unity will expand the reach of the church as it models humility, grace and love.
A vision of true unity
Unity is not shaped by uniformity, unanimity, or universality. Real unity is shaped by a proper view of God and us—a picture that embraces appropriate diversity. In a world where “forced uniformity of approval” is the ultimate standard (a standard that is isolating and demeaning), a unity that embraces diversity as a reflection of God’s power and plan for us is rare and refreshing, and it is needed in our world.
In addition, it is part of the maturity in Christ we are called to, and it stands as a key part of the testimony and validation of our testimony and the impact of the gospel in our lives. Let the world see our unity and thus see God at work in us!
Works cited
Muehlhoff, Tim and Richard Langer. Winsome Conviction. Downer’s Grove IL: Intervarsity Press 2020.
Lints, Richard. Uncommon Unity: Wisdom for the Church in an Age of Division. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2022.
