Our Unity is Essential

by Brett Burner, HCS Board Member

As we are coming off of the Thanksgiving holiday, I am appreciating the great need for Unity… in the family, at our school, at church, and in the greater Body of Christ.

In the Book of Philippians, Paul shares the importance of our unity. In Philippians 1:27-28, he tells them that the greatest thing they can do is to come together and be of one spirit, one mind… to contend together.

“Contend” is a sporting term: We are to be on one team, competing together, as a unit, driving toward the prize in a competition that has already been won. The trophy is in the case, but we are still on the playing field.

In verse 28, he says that our unity, our standing firm together, becomes a sign to others that they are lost. Our unity will show that we have HOPE and that no matter what they do to us, they can’t take that away from us. And they will understand that they don’t have that kind of hope.

For a world that is without hope, they should see a unified hope in the lives of Christians… they should see trust and confidence and assurance among the church. And ideally, this will resonate to the unbeliever.

But if we are not unified…they will not have a sign! If we can’t stand together, what motivation is there in the unsaved to think that there is any Salvation or Transformation to be found by becoming a part of the body of Christ?

Our unity is essential to a dying world.

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a time of family, a time where we can come together and put aside our differences and enjoy good food, good memories, and thankfulness for the things we have. But for some of us, Thanksgiving doesn’t represent that. Some of us dread getting together with family, because it's just a matter of time before someone gets upset, or someone says something rude or condescending. We think, I would rather be anywhere but here with these people.

Have you ever been to someone else’s house for Thanksgiving? You’re away from home, or a family gathering is not an option… So you spend time with another family. Inevitably you consider the closeness of the family. You think: “Wow, I wish my family got along like this…” or you think, “I miss home! These people are crazy!”

We want people on the outside of the church to feel: “I wish my family got along like this. I wish I could be a part of that family. They have something I want.” Our unity, regardless of circumstances, proves that we are part of God’s family, that we are brothers and sisters in Christ, sons and daughters of the living God, his holy people.