The Price of Unity
Unity is a beautiful idea, and it is an easy word to pronounce. Achieving it, however, is another matter. Even churches can have difficulty being unified. A poem says: “To live above with the saints in love, oh that will be glory; but to live below with the saints I know, that’s another story.” Unfortunately, there is more truth than poetry in that rhyme.
Unity requires effort. The essential ingredients are humility, patience, and sweat equity. Some examples reveal the work required. The Constitution of the United States has served us well for over 200 years. But we take it for granted. In the process of creating it, leaders debated long about what it should include. The 13 states that had to ratify it were not united. Eventually, after much effort, compromise, and persistence, 39 delegates signed it. When the states voted, the result was a great example of painstaking teamwork. The moon landing focused on the astronauts, but a large network of professionals did everything from rocket design to studying pictures of the moon to decide the best spot to land. It was truly “one giant step for mankind” because nearly everyone had a part in it, including all taxpayers whose dollars made it possible. Not everyone agreed that it was a worthy project, but it became an accomplishment we admire.
Unity isn’t easy but it is worth it. The psalmist wrote, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Psalm 133.1