Unity and Diversity
By Stephen Terry
Most of us would
recognize the beautiful, old hymn “Amazing Grace.” Music like that has tremendous power to
penetrate the heart with the message of the love of Jesus. Each note in the beautiful refrain is a
servant of its creator. Each one of
those servants carries a message. That
message combines in the harmony and the melody of the song as all the
individual notes swell together in praise and adoration.
Suppose, however, that
the first note in the song decided that every other note should serve its
creator in exactly the same way. The
first note is a quarter note. What if that note succeeded in convincing the
other notes that they should serve the creator in exactly the same way…that
they should be quarter notes also? We
would then lose the parts of the song where a single note is sustained for more
than one beat. Since each beat is one
quarter, then each note would march in lock-step rhythm from its instrument without
the usual varied cadence we delight to hear.’
Suppose the first note
was even more successful and convinced the other notes that they should not
only be quarter notes but that they should also be the same musical tone as he
is. In the key of G, all of the notes
would then need to be D notes since that would be the first note of the
hymn. After all it is not enough to come
half way, continual growth is necessary until perfection as defined by the
first note is achieved. With that type
of perfection the beautiful hymn becomes a staccato succession of monotone
sounds that are neither pleasing or useful for
attracting an audience.
God’s people are also
like notes in a heavenly harmony. We each play a unique part in God’s anthem of
the ages. How can we find diversity in
unity that will allow our melody to come forth?
Is it safe for us to use one person’s experience as a standard for
others when seeking God’s will for our own lives? Perhaps the answers to these questions can
help us to understand our differences and bring us into a greater, a universal
harmony that demonstrates unity even as it honors diversity.
King David held unity
in high regard. He wrote “Behold, how
good it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the
head, that ran down the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts
of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew
that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the
blessing, even life for evermore.” Psalm 133
The “precious ointment” which David writes
of is a symbol for the Holy Spirit pouring out upon the individual consecrated
to God’s service. David had known
opposition from his own family and division in the nation. He calmed discord, anger, and strife with
chords of music. This Psalm refers to
the king’s experience after the rebellion of his own son, Absalom. Though he loved Absalom dearly, and he was
deeply wounded by his son’s death, David “bowed
the heart of all the men of
Paul, in writing to the
Ephesians , spoke of the “unity of the Spirit.” Ephesians 4:3 In
the second chapter of Acts, we also find a close association between unity and
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully
come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven
as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the
house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like
as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak in
other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:1-4
With unity came power
for ministry. Alexander Allen, a prison minister, spoke of a young man who went
to prison for offenses committed under the influence of alcohol and drugs. His wife had threatened to leave him unless
he changed his ways, but when he returned home from prison confessing a faith
in Christ, she decided that life with a Christian would be worse than life with
a drunken drug-addict, and she left him.
They were both only seventeen at the time. The young man was heart broken, but continued
to cling to his faith in Jesus.
Eventually he untied with a local church through baptism.
One night he telephoned
to say that his wife had returned, and three weeks later he telephoned again,
at three in the morning, to say that his wife had also given her heart to the
Lord just ten minutes before. Since that
time, they have taken the area in which they live by storm, giving Bible
studies to former schoolmates, neighbors, old gang associates, and to many of
the local youth. As a result, a great
many have given their lives to the Lord.
Once there was unity in the home, the power of the Holy Spirit broke
loose. The same can happen in the
church.
Ellen White also wrote
about the importance of unity. We find
in her writings, “It is not a great
number of institutions, large buildings, and outward display that God requires,
but the harmonious action of a peculiar people, a people chosen by God and
precious, united with one another, their life hid with Christ in God.”
Testimonies, Volume 8, page 183.
Unity is important, but how do we get there? What prevents us from being
united?
Could our unity fall
apart the same way that the harmony of “Amazing Grace” disappeared? Have we chosen to set our individual
experience as a standard for others to conform to? Are we quarter D notes insisting that all
others be quarter D notes as well? Once
we decide to do that then the next step away from unity is easy. We begin to judge and criticize our brothers
and sisters in the family of God. We
even encourage others who might conform to our position to do the same judging
and criticizing work. This causes far
greater destruction in the household of faith than some one who might not be
living a perfect life as his brothers and sisters might define it.
From the pen of Ellen
White, again we read: “Brethren sometimes
associate together for years, and think they can trust those they know so well,
just as they would trust members of their own family. There is a freedom and confidence in this
association which could not exist among those not of the same faith. This is very pleasant while brotherly love
continues; but let the accuser of the brethren gain admittance to the heart of
one of these men, controlling the mind and the imagination, and jealousies are
created, suspicion and envy are harbored; and he who supposed himself secure in
the love and friendship of his brother finds himself mistrusted, and his
motives misjudged. The false brother
forgets his own human frailties, forgets his obligation to think and speak no
evil lest he dishonor God and wound Christ in the person of His saints; and
every defect that can be thought of or imagined is commented upon unmercifully,
and the character of a brother is represented as dark and questionable.” Testimonies to Ministers, pages 503-504.
Are our opinions so
perfect—our understanding of righteousness so complete that we can dare to set
our experience as a standard for questioning the motives and activities of our
brothers and sisters in Christ? Where
does such an attitude originate? Thoughts
from the Mount of Blessings, page 123 tells us “The effort to earn salvation by one’s own works inevitably leads men
to pile up human exactions as a barrier against sin. For, seeing that they fail to keep the law,
they will devise rules and regulations of their own to force themselves to
obey. All this turns the mind away from
God to self. His love dies out of the
heart, and with it perishes love for his fellow men. A system of human invention, with its
multitudinous exactions, will lead its advocates to judge all who come short of
the prescribed human standard. The
atmosphere of selfish and narrow criticism stifles the noble and generous
emotions, and causes men to become self-centered judges and petty spies.”
Mrs White writes more later on pages 126 and 127 of the same
book: “When men indulge this accusing
spirit, they are not satisfied with pointing out what they suppose to be a
defect in their brother. If milder means fail of making him do what they think
ought to be done, they will resort to compulsion. Just as far as lies in their power, they will
force men to comply with their ideas of what is right. This is what the Jews did in the days of
Christ and what the church has done ever since whenever she has lost the grace
of Christ.”
Could this be why Jesus warned us, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Matthew 7:1
To set ourselves up as a standard is to place greater
responsibility and accountability upon our own shoulders. We were never meant to bear such a burden.
This burden is Christ’s and not ours. If we try to bear it, it will eventually
become to great for us, and we will fall under such a
burden. We were never meant to be judged
as a standard for others. Christ has
given us the only standard necessary, and He alone is
the judge of that standard. The apostle
Paul wrote “But why doest thou judge thy
brother? Or why doest thou set at nought they brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment
seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and
every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one will
give account of himself to God.
Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather,
that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall
in his brother’s way.” Romans 15:10-13 This is not
the only problem with criticism.
Our criticism of others tends to come full circle and return
to us, only in greater quantity. When you plant a kernel of corn, you get corn
back and a lot more of it. The same
happens if you plant trouble. The
prophet Hosea called this sowing wind and reaping a whirlwind. (Hosea 8:7) This reaping of trouble is not just external
for even our minds become changed by constantly harboring an attitude of
criticism. We become narrowed,
withdrawn, and selfish—afraid that others will treat us as we have treated
them. No matter how old we might be, our minds remain fertile ground for good or evil. They will bring forth abundantly whatever we
plant there. No wonder we are counseled,
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are
true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever
things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good
report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these
things.” Phillipians 4:8
How do we break this cycle of criticism that produces such an
abundant harvest? How do we restore lost unity? Both the criticizer and the
criticized have a part to play, but to play that part they must first surrender
to the Holy Spirit’s power to work in their lives. The task at hand is neither small nor easy, the fruits of years of criticism may make the job
overwhelming. We need a power beyond
ourselves. We need the power of God.
Without that power the task may well be impossible, but Jesus assures us
that “with God all things are possible.”
Matthew 19:26
Both parties must next surrender to the power of God’s love
in their lives and begin to love each other with God’s love. This is the relationship that all brothers
and sisters in the family of God can have as a gift from God. What is this kind of love? It is a love that
gave the highest price that could possibly be paid for another. All heaven was emptied. The Father held back nothing. While many saw only a frail, human frame on
the cross, Divinity bled and suffered there.
As Paul said of Christ in his letter to the Colossians, “For in him dwelleth
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Colossians 2:9 This
is divine love, the love which Christ dwelling in us brings forth. This is a love that did not depend on our
good nature or character. We had
none. Paul wrote in his letter to the
Roman church that “we were enemies” but
even so “we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son.” Romans 5:10 The love of God can reconcile us to our
enemies.
Perhaps we feel we could more easily love our brothers and
sisters in the church if they would first repent and seek forgiveness of the
wrong they have done. If they don’t
change aren’t we just wasting our time?
Jesus did not say “Repent first, then I will die for you.” Jesus gave himself totally first and as a
result all are drawn to him and to repentance by this loving act. As Paul also wrote in the same chapter of
Romans, “God commendeth his love toward us, in that,
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
Jesus does not drive us to Him with a frown of judgment. He draws us with his love. John, the apostle who understood God’s love
so well, wrote that “For God sent not his
Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might
be saved.” John 3:17 This is the difference
between criticism and love. Criticism
drives with a stinging whip, and love draws with tenderness and caring. Are we prepared to give everything we own for
that brother or sister we have an issue with?
Jesus did. Would you let that
person insult you, spit on you, and steal from you without answering back? Jesus
did. Through the power of the Holy
Spirit within, we can have the love to give as Jesus did.
I like how Ellen White puts it: “When the love of Christ is enshrined in the heart, like sweet
fragrance it cannot be hidden. Its holy
influence will be felt by all with whom we come in contact. The spirit of Christ in the heart is like a
spring in the desert, flowing to refresh all, and making those who are ready to
perish, eager to drink of the water of life.”
Steps to Christ, Page 77 The spring does not ask,
“Is this person worthy to drink my water?”
No it gives its water freely and equally to the most vile criminal and
the most righteous saint without question.
We were created to let God’s love flow in us in the same way.
In the seventh century, King Oswald of North Umbria asked the
brethren of Iona in
God’s wish is for each of us to share his love like
that. But what of the injuries we have
suffered under the searing heat of criticism?
How are we to deal with the pain and suffering we have already
felt? Once again, I like how Ellen White
writes about it. “If received in faith, the trial that seems so bitter and hard to bear
will prove a blessing. The cruel blow that blights the joys of earth will be
the means of turning our eyes to heaven. How many there are
who would never have known Jesus had not sorrow led them to seek comfort in
him!”
“The trials of life are
God’s workmen, to remove the impurities and roughness from our characters. Their hewing, squaring, and chiseling, their
burnishing and polishing, is a painful process; it is hard to be pressed down
to the grinding wheel. But the stone is brought forth prepared to fill its
place in the heavenly temple. Upon no
useless material does the Master bestow such careful, thorough work. Only his precious stones are polished after
the similitude of a palace.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, page 10.
The work of the one being criticized is to “rejoice always”
and return to others the love of Christ which dwells within. For the love of Christ never leaves us. No matter how “boxed in” we seem to be by our
problems and our adversaries, the box is always open on top. The love of Jesus is always available. We should never let criticism or thoughts of
vengeance replace God’s love in our hearts.
Instead, we can allow the power of his love to flow from above, through
our hearts, and out to remove the walls that box us in.
If we have become critical or others, we must surrender to
God’s control. We need to cease fighting
for righteousness in the church and in our lives. Jesus has already won that battle. We only need to surrender our lives to his
control, and allow his victory to enter in.
Only when we let Him have it all can the love of God flow freely in our
lives. His love is the only means to
conquer sin both in our lives and in the church. Criticism will never work. Again from Ellen White: “No one has ever been reclaimed from a wrong position by censure and
reproach; but many have thus been driven from Christ and led to seal their
hearts against conviction.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, page 129
God intends for us to enjoy unity through diversity. His love allows us to be unique and
unified. Criticism can stifle the very
diversity that allows us to create a beautiful harmony of God’s love to a
hurting world. As Christians we are all
growing, and the water that provides the sturdiest growth, the most beautiful
blossoms and the most abundant fruit is love.
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not
love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all
knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not
love, I am nothing. If I give away all
that I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain
nothing.”
Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it
is not arrogant or rude. Love does not
insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at
wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.”
“Love never ends…” 1
Corinthians 13:1-8, RSV