Common Unity

Ever since the Fall, people have found it much easier to identify and focus on what makes us different rather than on what makes us the same.

Nationality, race, age, gender, ethnicity, experience – these are standard inclusions on most job applications, surveys and tax returns.  Although these classifications do tell a small bit of the story, human nature has a tendency to idolize and elevate these as the whole story.  And anytime we have reduced a people or person to a set of data points, we have greatly erred.

Racism assumes a flawed universal truth based on a flawed and inconclusive set of data points, which is then run through the filters of fear, anger and pride.  Poor logic and faulty assumptions then often result in unnecessary separation.

Ageism assumes irrelevance or ignorance, which again will often result in unnecessary separation.

And of course our history is not lacking for examples of discrimination based on gender, ethnicity or experience resulting in further separation.

To top it off, the idol of Nationalism is the chief cause and source of wars and bloodshed.

Indeed the list of differences that divide humanity is anything but new.

But we’re not content to stop there.

We can take it further and even decree that it’s not enough to simply acknowledge, or even to tolerate our differences, but that we must instead celebrate our differences. 

Isn’t it interesting that what happened at the Fall – the result of sin – was separation.  Separation from God.  Separation from each other.  Separation from living life the way it was meant to be lived – full of joy, love, hope and peace, living life to the max!  

So when we celebrate the things that separate us, we are celebrating the achievement of mediocrity – a life below our potential and purpose, lacking full joy, love, hope and peace.

But what is the cure?

Prior to the Fall, humanity experienced an unbroken relationship with God and with each other.  

“What God has brought together, let no man separate.”  

Jesus added this line after quoting Genesis 2 in response to a question regarding divorce (See Matthew 19).  

As we reflect on it, some of the greatest joys we can experience in life involve the coming together of relationships, while some of the greatest sorrows we can experience in life involve the dividing, or separation of relationships.  

I don’t think Jesus’ words were meant to be taken as a doctrine to be enforced, but rather as an observation about the nature of Creation.  We were created with a common need for unity, a deep longing for community – communion with God and communion with one another.

This is why each act of separation, each act of division cuts and wounds us so deeply – because we are wired for unity, communion, relationship.  When we separate and divide, we are rebelling against our own nature.

From what we read in the early chapters of Genesis, death didn’t even enter the picture until after the Fall.  It’s as though death came about as the result of our willful separation rather than God’s original creation plan.  Perhaps this is why the separation and loss we feel when loved ones die is so powerful – because it is so unnatural to our design.

So when Jesus encourages us to be a people of unity rather than a people of division, perhaps He’s simply encouraging us to get back in touch with our original and true nature as God’s good creation.

It’s fine to acknowledge and discern our unique traits, attributes and demographics, but let’s make that the footnote rather than the central message.  

May we instead choose to be a people who celebrate what we have in common – our sameness as living, breathing, spiritual creatures.  

May we instead celebrate and elevate our common unity as sons and daughters of the Most High.