Christians like the idea of unity. Hop on social media for a minute, and you wouldn’t think so, but most everyday Christians, including pastors and other leaders, would say that Christian unity is important.
We care about each other and the world. And we have read Jesus’ prayer in John 17. Here’s just a portion of that night-before-crucifixion plea with the Father:
“I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word. 21 May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. 22 I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me. -John 17:20-23
We feel the responsibility for Christian unity, but realistically speaking for many of us, it’s more theoritical than practical.
We will explore five reasons for that, and then we will see what I believe is a relatively simple way forward.
But it is important that we understand from the start that unity is not an appeal to sameness or agreement. Although genuine love for one another is essential, our unity is not sentimentality. Christian unity requires something of us at the ontological level—the basic level of our being or existence.
Although genuine love for one another is essential, our unity is not sentimentality.
I say that because Jesus prayed our unity would be like the unity of the Father and the Son. To say the least, that’s a deep and abiding existence together.
Why then is this beautiful design for unity so elusive for brothers and sisters in Christ who genuinely care about people and want to take the light of the Gospel to the darkest places of our community? Why do churches, Christian nonprofits, and Christian organizations struggle to step out of our silos enough to make the kingdom impact we want to make?
Here are five possiblities:
Urgent Working
We are busy in the work of ministry. We see the needs, we open our email inbox, we hear the notifications on our phones, and we spend our lives reacting to the near and present dangers. And we interpret overwhelming brokenness as our mandate to immediately act.
Many pastors and nonprofit leaders are wired to fix whatever is in front of us, and that creates a lifestyle of urgency that gives little margin to considering a bigger world with more expansive opportunities. Our busyness blinds us.
It also exhausts us. We just don’t have the energy to even think about working with others to share the ministry and build long-term solutions.
Scarcity Thinking
I’m not a math person, but I think many leaders do the math, and figure that the resources of people, talent, influence, knowledge, and money are limited. I’ve compared it to the “Hungrgy Hippo” game I had as a kid where four plastic hippos fight for a limited number of marbles. The hippo with the most marbles wins.
Too many Christian leaders live with a scarcity mentality forgetting that God is the provider, and His resources are without limits.
The result is closed-fisted self-protection. And it works. The church or organization is protected, at least for a while. They may even prosper. The shadow side of scarcity thinking, however, is that while the church or nonprofit meets its metrics, broken people don’t get the all help that’s available.
Our unity is actually the delivery system for Gospel and for all the abundance found in Jesus. When we choose division, whether passively or aggressively, people live broken lives and die without Christ.
Our unity is the delivery system for Gospel and for all the abundance found in Jesus.
Identity Seeking
All of these factors are wrapped together like yarn in an afghan blanket, but this issue of personal identity and self-worth is big. Not unlike other vocations, when we sense God’s call to serve as a pastor or in some kind of helps role, we put all of ourselves into it—as we should.
What’s unhelpful, however, is when we look for our significance by becoming the hero of the story. Both the “if it’s going to get done, I’ll have to do it myself” syndrome and the “our church is the best church in town” illusion damage our witness and leave our communities wanting. Whether on an individual or organizational basis, when our significance is rooted in our superiority or sense of indespensability, everyone else around us becomes a threat, not a partner.
When our significance is rooted in our indespensability, everyone else around us becomes a threat, not a partner.
Systems Limiting
We were created for community, but our organizations were not. Our vision, mission, strategies, and tactics do not include the collaborative processes that kingdom work requires. We build it, so they will come to us, not so we will go to them.
We were created for community, but our organizations were not.
Churches and organizations do have significant responsibilities to their stakeholders. As a father, for example, I’m responsible to care for my kids in a way that I’m not responsible to care for yours. So, internal systems are not the enemy. But healthy internal systems will equip and empower people to pursue and build kingdom partnerships beyond the organization.
Theological Narrowing
In Trevin Wax’ The Thrill of Orthodoxy, he reminds us that heresy doesn’t grow from a broad theological perspective, but a narrowing one. When we focus on one theological issue, and magnify it beyond all others, we find ourselves outside of Christian orthodoxy.
Likewise, Christian churches and organizations that narrow their theological lenses find it difficult to collaborate with other genuine Christian brothers and sisters. They strain at gnats, as Jesus said, which amounts to personal preferences or biases, and lose sight of the kingdom.
The Way Forward
Everything necessary for a community to thrive already exists in the community. Where there is a Christian presence, the Spirit of God inhabits that place, and all the resources of heaven and earth are available to those who seek first Jesus’ kingdom and His righteousness.
Everything necessary for a community to thrive already exists in the community.
So, we don’t need more resources. We need more humility. We need the mind of Christ. When we think like Jesus, Christians learn to put the interests of others ahead of our own.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. 4 Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others. -Philippians 2:3-4
Is it difficult? Will it cost us? Absolutely. Just ask Jesus about that. But are the souls and the communities in our care worth it. Absolutely. Just ask Jesus about that.
PICTURE OF THE WEEK
EVERYONE’S WILSON | THE EVERYONE’S WELCOME NETWORK
I’m the Executive Director of Everyone’s Wilson and The Everyone’s Welcome Network—a Gospel-driven community transformation initiative. Our mission is to unite the Church to engage the community, so everyone thrives. Very simply, we’re passionate about helping Jesus-loving people live like missionaries in their local community through prayer, service, evangelism, and collaboration.
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