We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah they’ll know we are Christians by our love
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we’ll guard each man’s dignity and save each man’s pride
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
–“They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love”
by Peter Raymond Scholtes
I sat among a group of women of varied ages, desperately wishing I had stayed silent, as the women around me fiercely protested my ignorant suggestion.
“I will not go to church if they start doing it that way!”
“Well, I guess then church will have to go on without me.”
“See, this is why I had to stop going.”
The battle lines were being drawn. The group was split down the middle…wait, no, there were three…four!…sides forming, and a defiantly neutral group as well.
What was the topic in question?
Musical worship styles. Wait, no, maybe it was Sunday morning dress code. Or was it VBS? Mother’s Day celebration??
Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?
Because We Care
The fact is that what we believe in matters. It is very difficult to shrug our shoulders and say, “Agree to disagree,” when it comes to religious ideology and practice.
We each have history – a church that burned us in the past, the memories of which still make us flinch, or a church that we loved and hold up as a measure by which we judge all other churches. Our history colors how we perceive every new idea that crosses our path.
When our anger is stirred up by a brother or sister in Christ because they tread on a sensitivity we bear, let’s take a breath and respond in the kindness of the Holy Spirit. Let’s try to remember that all of us in the body of Christ are trying to do the right thing, and that with God’s help we can take those steps in cooperation rather than contention.
Because We Sin
I know, you were waiting for this one, weren’t you? Because you were thinking of that one person that we all know who we desperately wish would realize how sinful they are.
But, friends, I’m here to tell you that that sinner is you.
“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”
Romans 15:7 NIV
Most of the time when we find ourselves in a moral dispute with other Christians, our pride has bared its teeth. When we step back in repentance, acknowledging our own daily, desperate need for a Savior, we will have more patience and kindness to share with our brothers and sisters in Christ, who may approach certain subjects from the other side, but who are being transformed into the likeness of Christ just as we are.
When we step back in repentance, acknowledging our own daily, desperate need for a Savior, we will have more patience and kindness to share with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Because God’s Character is Immeasurable
And here we get to the crux of the matter.
God’s character is as immeasurable as the grains of sand on a shoreline. So our problem is that when we think that another person has misunderstood the character of God, we fail to realize that we ourselves are holding only a handful of sand.
I believe that God has revealed himself through Scripture. But I believe that in a lifetime of studying those Scriptures we still only hold a handful. And our neighbor who studies the Scriptures to discern the character of God will come away with a handful as well, though it will not match ours, grain for grain.
So, when God is teaching me about the amazing grace that can be found in His Son, my sister in Christ may be learning about the holiness of God. I may be learning to call God my “Daddy” (Romans 8:15) while she is learning to show respect to our Creator God (Psalm 96:9).
Then I may be tempted to look at her and shake my head, saying, “She doesn’t understand grace.” And she may look at me, sadly, thinking, “Another liberal Christian taking sin too lightly.”
Forbid it, Lord! Heal our prideful hearts! Let us learn to delight in the handfuls of sand that you have given us, but to recognize that the depth of who you are extends far beyond what we can hold.
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
Romans 15:5-7 ESV
