No Division!

"Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no division among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose."

(1 Corinthians 1:10)

It seems to be human nature to separate ourselves from others. Or maybe, if that sounds too harsh, to differentiate ourselves. We're a culture awash with choices - at the grocery store, fast food, tv/cable/satellite, music, clothing, etc. We sport brands and styles and make deliberate connections to certain people, theology, politics, etc. We observe "us vs. them" mentality on a variety of levels...

Even in the church...

Or, maybe, especially in the church. Individual churches, denominations, and within the larger body of christ. It's been that way for years. Thousands of years.

Paul knew this reality. He saw it in the church in Corinth. They'd had two strong leaders: himself and Apollos. Peter was a "super apostle" whose teaching influenced many in the Ancient Near East. And, of course, there was Jesus. Paul knew all were important and vital to the people in Corinth... but they were starting to draw lines of demarcation among themselves. Paul vs. Apollos vs. Peter vs. Jesus supporters took sides (and it wasn't pretty).

So Paul, in his very first chapter, lays it out for them: NO DIVISIONS! Be in agreement! He called the Corinthians to be "united in the same mind and the same purpose."

That's how it should be, right? And yet it's often easier said than done. We still separate ourselves. We compare denominations. We cling to our favorite pastors. We champion our cherished causes (and thing negatively about anyone who disagrees with us). WE aren't united in the same mind or purpose.

And yet... there is hope! We can live into this vision by Paul IF we are willing to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. We are called to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Period. Every one of Jesus' disciples were different. They all had their own backstory, baggage, and battles. So do we. But if we focus on loving God and others... and following Jesus... then we'll be okay.

May it be so... sooner than later!