Unity: Elusive but a Blessing

Lately I’ve been thinking quite a lot about the matter of unity. The theme for our upcoming General Convention of Synod, “The Gift of God – It’s Grace that Unites us” calls us to contemplate the unity of the church in the face of theological differences.

Unity is also a current topic politically. After an assassination attempt on former US president Donald Trump, national leaders past and present made public appeals for unity, one of them urging people to consider that, ‘we have much more in common than what divides us.’

Unity is a common theme in the ‘objects of the church’ according to our constitutions. The church commits to ‘unite in one body… promote and maintain true Christian unity in the bond of peace… ensure that preaching, teaching and practice in the Church are in conformity with the Confession of the Church… cultivate uniformity in worship, ecclesiastical practice and customs in accord with the principles laid down in Article X. of the Formula of Concord’ (LCA Constitution 3.1). Our church constitutions require bishops ‘to strive for unity, harmony and good order in the Church’. For Lutherans, unity is always based on a common confession of faith in ‘the divinely inspired, written, and inerrant Word of God, … as the only infallible source and norm for all matters of faith, doctrine, and life’.

Better Together in Christ

The author of a devotion entitled, ‘Better Together in Christ’ reflected on the gift of unity in the body of Christ, focussing on Psalm 133: ‘How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity… Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon.’  She then described unity as something that ‘may feel elusive’. [Patricia Raybon, Our Daily Bread, July 14, 2024].

Why is Unity Elusive?

This begs the question about why unity ‘may feel elusive’. What things threaten unity among God’s people? In Scripture, James asks the same question, ‘What causes fights and quarrels among you?’ He immediately answers his own question, saying, ‘Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it…’ (James 4:1-2). Unity between brothers and sisters in Christ is threatened when we give free reign to our selfish desires at the expense of our concern for others.

The unity of the church is also threatened by false teaching. St Paul appeals to Christians in Rome ‘to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; keep away from them’ (Romans16:17). When he tells pastor Timothy to ‘command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer,’ he says that ‘the goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith’ (1 Tim 1:1-3). The Word of God is the basis for Christian unity and for that reason it can also be the cause of division. Martin Luther wrote, ‘The Word and doctrine will create Christian unity or fellowship. Where they reign, all else will follow. Where they are not, no concord will ever abide’ (Sermons from the year 1531. WA 34/2:387).

What Promotes Unity among God’s People?

Many New Testament passages urge God’s people to strive for unity in the body of Christ. From them we learn that true unity is found most of all in an attitude of humility, both under God’s Word and before one another. According to St Paul, ‘Speaking the truth’ of God’s Word, but doing so ‘in love’ promotes unity and maturity in the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:14-16).

I read recently how in any disagreement, ‘both positions are subject to their own forms of corruption by sinful humanity’. So, the desire for unity requires constant searching of the Scriptures, self-examination, repentant hearts, and lots of humility from all concerned. For example, it may be easy for me to issue a call for unity, but I must search my motives by asking, ‘Is the unity I desire on God’s terms or my own terms? Is the appeal for unity based on a result that is to my liking, in that unity will exist when the other person yields to my desire?’

Christian unity is never something that can be forced or demanded. Unity is the ‘fruit of the [Holy] Spirit’ at work in our hearts through the Word of God. That is why the apostles urge us to ‘live by the Spirit and not to gratify the desires of our sinful natures’,  to let ‘the fruit of the Spirit’ triumph over ‘the acts of the sinful nature’ (Gal 5:16-26), to ‘let the Word of Christ dwell among us richly and let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts’ (Col 3:12-15), to ‘submit ourselves to God’  and ‘to one another out of reverence for Christ’ (James 4:7; Eph 5:21), and to ‘make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace’ (Eph 4:1-6).

Unity as a Gift and a Task

It is often said in the context of ecumenical relations that unity is both a gift and a task. The gift is that there is One Holy Christian Church which is the fellowship of faith and of the Holy Spirit in people’s hearts. The task is to seek and maintain outward unity through the right use of Word and Sacrament. Scripture would suggest that this principle also applies within church bodies as Christians put the gift of their unity in Christ to work in the task of living in Christ-like love toward one another. St Paul writes, ‘Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion [the gift], then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind’ [the task] (Philippians 2:1-2).  ‘As God’s people, chosen and dearly loved’ [the gift] we are urged, ‘clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience’ [the task] (Col 3:12-15).

A Practical Application

How may all this be applied? Unity in the body of Christ does not mean that we agree on everything, but that differences can and should be discussed in light of God’s Word and godly solutions sought for the good of the body as a whole. 1 Corinthians 8:9-13 and Romans 14:1-23 are examples of how the Biblical principles of humility, servanthood and love were applied to a situation in the early church. Some, whose consciences were not troubled by eating meat offered to idols refrained from doing so for the sake of their brothers and sisters in Christ whose consciences would have been troubled by doing so.  The Jerusalem conference of Acts 15 is another example where these principles were applied to a church dispute.

In the LCA documents of union, the uniting synods echo a strong sense of eagerness to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Yet even they acknowledge the elusive nature of unity, the inevitability of broken fellowship with other churches because of differences in doctrine, and the possibility of separation where there is persistence in error that is damaging to the cause of the gospel (DU 6; TA 1:4a).

Encouragement

My musings here are by no means comprehensive, but I leave them with you to consider. Just as the devotion I mentioned earlier reminded us that unity ‘may feel elusive’, it also said that unity is ‘a beautiful goal for believers’ and ‘it blesses all’. According to Psalm 133, ‘When God’s people live together in unity… there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life evermore’ (Psalm 133:3). My prayer is that each of us may consider how we may live in Christ-like humility, both under God’s Word and before one another, so that God may bless his church with true unity.

O Comforter of priceless worth,
grant one mind to your flock on earth;
support us in our final strife,
and lead us out of death to life.
                     LH 197 v.3 Martin Luther 1483-1546.
tr. Catherine Winkworth 1827-78 (1863) alt.