Unity not Uniformity

We all like to be accepted. Even the most reclusive like others to understand their need for space and silence. Friendships are, most of the time, built up through an acceptance of the other’s interests and character traits – even if they are limited.

My best friend and I share a long history of shared experiences – we first met 45 years ago, at a youth group meeting. Over the years, our paths have been interwoven, parallel but not overlapping, and occasionally divergent. 

We’ve spent times in different countries, we’ve both got married, had children. I’ve had about eight jobs, he’s had two. He loves Collingwood, I don’t. He follows Chelsea in the EPL, me – Man Utd. He loves birdwatching; I support my wife’s passion for this pastime, but can’t get excited as he does when he sees a new species for the first time. 

He plays Australian Football, me – the real football. I love coffee (some say I’m a bit encyclopedic in my knowledge of where to get a good brew) – he’s a fan of cheap instant coffee. My hobby is photography, that particular pastime leaves him shrugging his shoulders.

What binds us together? Firstly, we just get on. We enjoy each other’s company. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, we share several passions – good food, good times and sharing life well with our “neighbours” being chief among our long list of shared interests.

Oh, and an abiding love of Jesus. Four and half decades of walking with the Lord together, sharing the ups, downs, sadness, joy, certainties and curiosities. We don’t agree on everything as we interpret and apply Scripture into our lives, but we hear each other out and the centrality of Christ in all things spurs us on.

My best mate and me – we have unity, but we are not uniform.

When we join with others in our community, what do we look for?

Is it a shared...

...church experience?

...conversion narrative?

...preference for style of church worship?

...theological perspective?

...ethnic origin? 

...cultural background?

...Year group(s) for your child(ren)?

...sporting or activities interest?

...friend(s)?

...place you’ve visited?

...place you’ve lived?

To be honest, it’s a blessing if more than one or two of these things line up. When we make good and enduring friendships, part of the joy is the discovery that takes place as you share time with one another – maybe first at pick up from school, and then at a café, over a weekend BBQ or even a camping holiday. 

A little like family, you realise early on in your time in a school community that you can’t choose who else is there! And yet (as you might recall from last week’s Networks), we are called – as followers of Jesus, as those created in the image of our Creator God – to live life amongst one another in the light of the two great commandments.

In New Testament times, when tensions ran high about who were “the in crowd” in terms of how God loved and blessed the members of the newly formed Christian church, Paul put it succinctly in Romans 10:12 – 

“There is no difference between Jews and Greeks. They all have the same Lord, who gives His riches to everyone who calls on Him.”

Our unity should be in these things – God is the same Lord of all in our community, no matter what the details of our live journey to this point looks like. He has revealed himself to us all, and we are a community of people who have chosen to follow Jesus.

This followership is not a call to all do the same thing, think the same thing, be the same person (that is, uniformity). We are gifted differently, our experiences are each unique and the way we think, act and contribute are all going to be different. This is the richer mix, this is the greater story – that Christ died for each and every one of us, no matter what has happened or we have done in life. His grace is sufficient, His love overcomes.

As His people, living in this unifying truth, may we give glimpses of it to each other as we seek to celebrate our lack of uniformity!

Shalom.