What Price Unity?

I hear a lot of talk about the importance of unity and I think it is a good thing, both within a church and within The Church, but one of the questions that I have been pondering is what price we put on unity and if at times we actually don’t have unity, buy simply have people staying silent when they should be speaking up.

I have been reflecting on Pauls words in 1 Cor 11:19 where he argues that ‘there must be divisions among you to show which of you have God’s approval’. He states quite clearly that at times we will disagree in things and at times one party will be wrong. It won’t be a ‘matter of opinion’. It will simply be true v false and on those occasions it’s ok to dig in and resist or to forgo ‘unity’.

Don’t get me wrong I hear Jesus’ prays in John 17 and hold it as a high value – that we are one as the Godhead is one – but let’s not forget that at times we will encounter people who seek to destroy the work of God for thier own ends and they need to be stopped.

I guess the question that will always challenge us is whether it is us or them who are wrong. With a limited view we can only see partially, but let’s not have ‘unity’ no matter what.

By the same token there are this who will divide over the way you tie your shoelaces – equally aberrant and destructive.

This stuff is easy hey?…