Behold, how good and how pleasant it is

.... for brethren to dwell together in unity. For there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life forevermore  (Psalm 133:1, 3)! If the brethren (and sistren) dwelling together in unity is good and pleasant,  then allowing our differences to separate us is the exact opposite.  But do we have to saying/believing be exactly the same thing before we can dwell, live together,  in unity?  The world would say yes.  Too often in the world disagreement is equated with disloyalty.  I have to wonder if the world learned this from the church which (at least the Protestant church) has united around it's version of the truth, and has divided over what it sees as error, or sometimes even the colour of the new carpet! Part of what I am saying, is that the basis of our unity seems to be conformity, all being the same. But as Kris Vollotton puts it,  within the Kingdom of God, unity has nothing to do with conformity.

In verse 3 above,  we  read that unity and the blessing of eternal life, are related.  In His hight priestly prayer, Jesus equates eternal life with relationship with the Father and Himself (John 17:3). Jesus and the Father are one, and His prayer it that we likewise may be one (verse 21). But Jesus is not the Father, and the Father is not Jesus. Their oneness, their unity, is unity in diversity, not unity in conformity. Likewise if we are to be one as they are one our unity is to be unity in diversity, not conformity. And the context makes it clear the basis of our unity (the unity of the brethren) is relationship, relationship with God and each other. 

Please do not misunderstand me, I am not saying that truth is not important. The unity we are talking about here is the unity between the brethren (verse 1).  The brethren are believers, those who know the one true God (John 17:3 again).  We must not have some narrow understanding of what it means to be a brother, such as being a member of my denomination (“we are the people of God”). This is uniformity not unity. It is difficult of course, for we are to contend for the faith (Jude 3). I have found the faith statement of para church organizations helpful here (InterVarsity, Operation Mobilization etc.). These doctrinal statements have been forged and refined in respectful,  prayerful,  interdenominational debate. Note that we are to contend for the faith, but not to be contentious. We need to be respectful and loving in the determination to discover what are the non-negotiable essentials, and what are the denominational distinctions, places where we can agree, agreeably to differ.

Lord, You have given the World the right to judge if we are true believers by the love that we have one for another (John 13:35). And so Lord I want to repent for myself and on behalf of the Church for the way we have not been eager to preserve the unity that You purchased at such great expense to Yourself (Ephesians 4:3). Lord Your primary purpose is to unite all things together in You (Ephesians 1:10). Forgive us Lord, please give us the Grace we need to love one another as You have loved us, it is good and pleasant when we do so. We love Your Lord, even in our weakness, please command the blessing in Jesus Name Amen