Finally, our election season is over! Will our divided nation find some experience of unity? My guess is that while there may be a brief period of some sort of unity, the bitter partisan divide will reassert itself. Already, there are some advising disappointed voters to cut off those, including family members, solely on the basis of their vote.(1) Thankfully, few of us are so extreme! Nevertheless, political divisions and divisiveness are just the nature of things.
While I care about national unity, my deepest passion is about Chistian unity. The Restoration Movement, of which I am gratefully an heir, was at first a Christian unity movement. Its first two leaders (who would eventually unite in 1832) were Barton Stone and Thomas Campbell (who would later be joined by his son, Alexander). When Thomas Campbell came to the United States from Scotland, he was appalled to see the sectarian divisions and the often-open conflicts between the various sects of those claiming the Prince of Peace as their common Lord. In 1809 he published a lengthy document that would have profound and far-reaching results. The document was called The Declaration and Address. Here are his first two propositions:
PROP. I. That the Church of Christ upon earth is essentially, intentionally, and constitutionally one; consisting of all those in every place that profess their faith in Christ and obedience to him in all things according to the Scriptures, and that manifest the same by their tempers and conduct, and of none else; as none else can be truly and properly called Christians.
2. That although the Church of Christ upon earth must necessarily exist in particular and distinct societies, locally separate one from another, yet there ought to be no schisms, no uncharitable divisions among them. They ought to receive each other as Christ Jesus hath also received them, to the glory of God. And for this purpose they ought all to walk by the same rule, to mind and speak the same thing; and to be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment.(2)
It was this same passion for unity that long before stirred Paul’s heart. Paul was spared the spectacle of the denominational proliferation and conflict which met Thomas Campbell, but he did see the disturbing prospect of a deep division. One disturbing example of division was at the young church in Corinth. Paul began his letter addressing their division:
110 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”
13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? (NIV)
Paul called on them to truly be united and to put away divisions because they were “the church of God” in Corinth and they were all “sanctified in Christ Jesus.” they were all recipients of the “grace of God … in Christ Jesus” (1 Corinthians 1:2-3). Paul could push them to be united in mind and purpose because they had been united in the one faith. Instead, they were divided by partisan loyalties to people other than the Messiah, Jesus.
Jesus, and only Jesus will keep us together in true unity. In the church, “I am of Trump,” or “I am of Harris,” (or any political figure) will not do—ever! In chapter 12, Paul will tell Corinthians who even divided based on their Spirit gifts, that they were the body of Christ. That is still true! Enjoy this worship song, We Are the Body of Christ, found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bkWSFuF2Xg#ddg-play
Tim Kelley
(1) https://www.yahoo.com/news/yale-psychiatrist-calls-essential-liberals-173108866.html
(2)https://webfiles.acu.edu/departments/Library/HR/restmov_nov11/www.mun.ca/rels/restmov/texts/tcampbell/da/DA-1ST.HTM