Unity is Found in Direction

There’s been a lot of talk about unity these days, and, along with many others, I welcome it. For too long has the Christian message been hampered by infighting among our own family. As Christians, our battle is not against flesh and blood, but we’ve been living as though it is – the flesh and blood meeting in the church building across the street.

Well-meaning Christian leaders have sought unity through creedal statements, which generally are so milquetoast they make a UN declaration seem forceful. Unity can’t be found there. Nor are they found in emotional declarations from the pulpit of a Promise Keepers rally or pastors conference. And while certain “fads” might be widespread throughout the evangelical world (think Jabez), the unity they bring is shallow and short-lived (anybody still wearing “Passion of the Christ” merchandise out there?)

No, true unity is found in direction.

Imagine all of Christendom as a rail yard. There are all sorts of different kinds of cars, each with its own particular cargo. And each of these cars is vital for the train. This train does not just carry one type of cargo, but wants to carry as many different kinds as possible. As the Christian movement moves, the train needs all sorts of cargo for the journey.

We need the charismatic cars to carry a sense of reliance upon the power of the Holy Spirit, as well as the expectation of great things from our Lord. We need the Calvinistic cars to carry for us the reminder of the majesty and sovereignty of our Lord, whenever we feel that we are the stars of this show. We need the liturgical cars to carry the awe and mystery of approaching God in worship, which some tend to make too much like political rallies or rock concerts. We need the Wesleyan cars to bring the importance of holiness and discipline, and the Restorationist cars to carry a commitment to the New Testament as the map for the journey.

When we connect all these different cars onto the same locomotive, the Holy Spirit which provides the needed energy, the momentum generated is enormous. It might even be enough to move a mountain.

The problem with the rail yard is that there are all sorts of tracks leaving the yard, in all sorts of different directions. Some tracks lead to relevance with the culture, where the train just becomes merely part of the broader cultural convoy – seeking political influence or merely “your best life now.” Some tracks lead to the idolatry of a compelling preacher, a long-dead founder, an ancient saint, or just the way “it used to be.” And some tracks lead to the morbid self-righteousness of legalism, where the silences of Scripture become basis for drawing boundaries around who’s “in” and who’s “out.”

While there are lot of different tracks for trains, all but one go to the same destination. “Wide is the road that leads to destruction, and many are they that travel it.”

I don’t know if God is much interested in creedal statements (He sure didn’t seem to include many – if any – is His book), but I do know that He is interested in our direction. The Bible is, after all, a travel book: Abraham’s journey of faith, Israel’s trip through the Sea and 7 times around the city of Jericho, there-and-back-again sojourns in Babylon, the Via Dolorosa of Christ, and the trip the gospel has taken from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, Athens, Rome, and the ends of the earth, and, finally, the promise of a future trip by Christ on a White Horse.

For unity to take place, then, the cars in Christendom’s rail yard don’t all have to carry the same cargo. No, they just have to be going in the same direction.

Therefore, whenever a church is serious about pursuing the One True God and Christ-likeness, I’ll link my car to theirs. Whenever a denomination makes their mission Christ’s mission – to take the gospel into all the earth, I won’t hesitate to join arms. You see, if I truly believe that the destination of Christ and the mission that He gave to His bride is more important than what I’m carrying in my car, then the differences we have will “grow strangely dim” in the light of His glory and grace.

Unity is not mere conformity, because that would deny the beautiful diversity within the body of Christ. How boring would the universal Church be if we all looked like one of the many wonderful variations. If we were all eyes, where would the sense of smell be? If we were all hands, how could we walk? But we must all be connected to the Head (here’s where doctrine comes in), and moving in His direction. Whoever is on that journey is my brother and sister, no matter what the sign in front of their building says.

“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Only God has a House and Table big enough for all of us to find room. In seeking His House, we’ll find who our true family is.