True Unity

Romans 14 addresses the importance of living according to the convictions of our conscience and learning how to extend grace to those with whom we differ. Romans 14 states:
6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.

Paul elaborates on the importance of those personal preferences - opinions, if you will. Later in the chapter, he begins to wrap things up by stating:
16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil;
17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.
19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

It seems people are intent on trying to compel others to act in the way they do - there is an unhealthy thirst for power and control.  While we can set an example and live with conviction, when we try to impose our beliefs on others using the worldly tools of guilt and shame, I just don't see how that can possibly be effective.  And, it's certainly not the way of our Lord.  We should be encouraging one another in these challenging days.
 

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We find a prescription for walking in peace with others in Hebrews chapter 12, where we can read:
14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled...

We are called to pursue and promote unity with one another in Christ.  That is an important distinction; the world's view of unity is grounded in human cooperation and even homogenization of ideas, to the exclusion of others.  We are called to unify around the truth of the Scriptures and the love of Christ, and all who will respond positively to God's truth and accept Jesus as Savior are welcomed into the family. When the enemy comes in to divide believers, to turn us against each other, we have to doggedly make sure that we are seeking unity with one another, even though we have different backgrounds.

And, no doubt we see a wave of division in our culture. An upcoming guest on The Meeting House, Stephen Broden of the Content of Character Series, refers to the "Marxist toolbox."  He notes that the ultimate aim of cultural Marxism is to create division and chaos so that a "new order" might be established.  I am thankful for the "old paths," which can guide our lives and how we relate to one another.

The current cultural revolution has had its intended effect, as it was pointed out on social media with a graphic of a new Gallup survey.  According to Gallup's website:

For the second consecutive year, U.S. adults' positive ratings of relations between Black and White Americans are at their lowest point in more than two decades of measurement. Currently, 42% of Americans say relations between the two groups are "very" or "somewhat" good, while 57% say they are "somewhat" or "very" bad.

This year's rating of 42% is slightly down from last year's 44%, but upside down from the 51% in the good column just two years ago, compared to 47% who believed that race relations were somewhat or very bad. 

In 2013, we were riding high in Black-White relations in America, at 70% good to 30% bad - it dropped off significantly to the point where by 2015, when 53% of respondents had a negative appraisal of race relations, compared to a 47% good rating.

The survey summary notes:

While White Americans have typically been more likely than Black Americans to say race relations are good, at least slim majorities of both racial groups rated them positively until 2016. Although the racially divisive events of the past few years have taken a toll on both Black and White Americans' views of race relations, Black adults' views continue to lag White adults'. Currently, 10 points separate Black and White adults' views of race relations -- 33% vs. 43%.

There was a 14-point gap in 2018. 

But, there is optimism expressed by survey respondents - the summary states: "Fifty-seven percent of U.S. adults currently say a solution to the problem of Black-White relations will eventually be worked out and race relations will not always be a problem, while 40% disagree and say it will always be a problem."  Broken down by race, 60% of whites are optimistic, but only 40% of African-Americans are, a steep drop from last year's 54%, which represented a 10-point rise from 2019.

We are certainly addressing two types of unity - peace within the Church, and a more civil culture. For the Church, we know that in Christ, there is cause for optimism - He can bring us together, He can give us the ability to unite around His common love and truth. We have to be determined not to allow the enemy to divide us - will we disagree on issues? Certainly.  But, it is the overriding truth of God's Word and our common confession of Christ that can bring together.  And, a unified Church can lead the way and set the example of racial harmony.

Societally speaking, a key to harmony between people is understanding the efforts that are being made to divide us and rise above them.  That means understanding the effort to radically and fundamentally change our nation. Racial harmony was thought to be positive as recently as 2013 - by Black and White Americans. You have to ask what has changed - I believe that the messages being communicated through political leaders, media, and entertainment have contributed.  

But, a more harmonious society is possible - we've been there before.  What got us there?  Can we return?  And, can we return to the principles of Scripture that inspire us to love one another?  A prescription for the Church and society is to recognize the importance of recognizing our common bonds and concentrating on what unites us, keeping the Biblical admonition to love our neighbor and put the needs of others above our own foremost in our thoughts and actions.