Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
This week’s lesson from the “Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide”, is titled “The Unified Body of Christ”. As our quarterly states on Thursday’s lesson, “Paul perceives an environment not unlike our own in which various ideas, such as ‘every wind of doctrine’ and deceitful schemes” are thrust upon believers’”. The temptation for us Seventh-Day Adventists, who, now as always, face these challenges to the “unified body of Christ” (ibid) that we are called to be. Are we unified today? For example, we Adventists have not come to any unanimous conclusion regarding the proposed ordination of women. And whatever decision we make or stick with, it will surely not be unanimous. Respected Bible scholars on both sides of this singular issue have diametrically opposing views, each scripturally supported. Total church unity on every subject is something that will likely elude us as long as we think being unified is the same thing as uniformity. But is unity and uniformity the same thing? Perhaps we have misunderstood “unity” (being unified) all along.
Uniformity, by definition is “having always the same form, manner, or degree: not varying or variable” (Merriam--Webster Dictionary for “uniform”). However, unity does not carry that same sense of identical sameness. Unity, by definition is “: a condition of harmony: accord” (Merriam—Webster Dictionary for “unity”). And for me, this is the concept I believe Scripture supports. “Harmony” suggests individual differences that combine to make a coherent whole. Scripture refers to us believers as different members of the same “body”, just like our physical bodies are composed of different parts. And all the parts perform widely different functions that work towards a coherent whole… work towards a common goal or mission. This idea, this “harmony”, is what is seen in all effective entities… as long as all members are on-board with the same goal. And so, with us Adventists, we are to have “the same faith and hope and reach out in one witness to all” (Fundamental Belief #14). And this begs the question then… to what or to whom are we working in “harmony”? The question is not, “Are we unified”? The question is more, “to what are we unified”?
We so often think we are to be unified over our doctrine. But doctrine alone does not lead us to be unified. We need to be unified to the Person of Jesus Christ and in unity with His principles, just as the Nazis were in unity with their leader and what he stood for. The loyalty and unity we seek is not over some doctrine (teaching). But in loyalty and unity to our God and for His principles of love and truth… the principles that undergird doctrine and teaching. And now we can see how there can be differences between individuals and groups within our church as they pursue the same principal. The principal of love. A human mother and father can disagree about how best to handle their wayward child… how best to “teach” (doctrine). But ideally, both are operating from a platform of love for the child, the undergirding principal of love for the child, even if their methods (teaching/ doctrine) do not agree. Unity in love they are, but not uniform in their approach. So, with our church. If we are one in love towards each other and for our brothers and sisters everywhere, we are unified, even if we need to come to a consensus regarding the “how” to love. Let us not continue to browbeat or coerce our fellow members any longer over doctrinal differences. Love is the unifying agent. It alone will bring us into unity and ease the tension over doctrinal differences. Those differences will likely persist. Uniformity was never the goal of our God who made us all unique and different from each other. But the unity of love, the brotherhood of mankind, has always been the hallmark of Christianity and of our God. May we be “one” in love… united in love for all, making allowances for the individual expression of that love, is my prayer.
With brotherly love,
Jim
