DIVERSE YET UNITED
MISSION FOCUS
Board Devotional — Week 6
by Pastor Kevin Wells
Unity as a reality has been scarce these past couple of years in the world, and sadly in the Church as well, as we have squabbled over politics, Covid-19, social justice, and sundry other items. In most circumstances the position one takes on these issues is not nearly as dire as we are wont to think. For most people with healthy immune systems to mask or not to mask isn’t going to make or break either their lives or personal liberties.
However, other points of conflict have immediate and potentially deadly consequences. For instance in the last month it has mattered more than ever for Ukrainians whether they were aligned with their own nation or with invading Russian forces. Choose wisely or risk death.
Unfortunately, unity within the context of the Church has been overlooked by far too many self-identified Christians and the consequences of ignoring it and not actively striving for it by way of the Holy Spirit has greater impact than either masks or cluster bombs will, or could ever have. In fact Jesus staked the credibility of His entire mission on the reality of unity among His disciples when, on the night before His crucifixion He prayed:
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” — John 17:20-23 NKJV
Unity has never been and never will be a luxury for the Church. We can disagree about countless things but we can never disagree about the central importance of the Unity of the Body. The very mission of Christ to redeem this world is inextricably intertwined with it.
Let us in deference to one another strive to put aside the petty and selfish matters that separate us and take hold of the Great Salvation that God has provided. God has Delivered us out of the fractured world of division and made us one. Now is the time to live the prayer of Jesus.