Our Divisions — and the Fork of Unity

“Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other?” 

It’s been more than twenty years now since I first read these words in A.W. Tozer’s classic little book The Pursuit of God. Two decades of adult life, and church life, and spiritual leadership, have confirmed the power of Tozer’s illustration. He continues, 

Pianos are of one accord by being turned, not to each other, but to another standard to which one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become “unity” conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship. (90)

Many of us feel like we’ve been living in divisive days — at least compared to other seasons of life we’ve known. Maybe it’s been politics and the pandemic; maybe it’s been the projections of social and traditional media. Whatever the case, many of us have seen, in fresh ways, in recent years how ridiculous and mean and belligerent and shamefully divisive some people can be. Maybe some of us have been those people. All of us know such people.

And naturally, in such times as ours, many begin to ache afresh for unity, for new understanding and sympathy, for relationships restored, for growing rather than shrinking circles of friends. Even if we all can’t get along, how about more of us get along? Can we at least move past the silly causes for division?

And in days like ours, it’s good to remember where and when and how we find Christian unity: Not by becoming “unity conscious” — or perhaps more precisely, by being “unity focused.” In other words, not by turning our eyes away from Christ, and to each other, to strive for closer fellowship. 

Rather we find true and lasting unity by “each one looking away to Christ,” tuning ourselves to him and his word, and then, as we do, we discover others in the same pursuit. So, we don’t water down the Scriptures to find common ground and unity, but we go deeper. We don’t back away from biblical doctrine to find new friends; we lean in, and there we find the unity that comes from the truth.

So, the exhortation this morning is this: Cities Church, let’s not back away from the details of God’s word to find true unity; let’s lean in. To find true unity, we look elsewhere first, that is, to Jesus, in his word. And as we do, we come to find others in our field of vision who are doing the same. And then unity falls on us as a blessing from heaven — to be received from God, and not achieved by human effort and strategy — and how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity.

Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, we confess that none of us have the perfect compass when it comes to unity and division. We’re prone to seek unity in times and ways we shouldn’t. And we’re prone to create divisions in times and ways we shouldn’t. Help us to have the mind of Christ. Help us to be shaped in the study and preaching of your word and in the corporate dynamics of life in this church. 

Father, we want you, and your Son, first and foremost. We do not pine for unity at any cost. Rather, we want it on your terms, as your blessing, seeking you first, and gladly receiving your gift of unity that comes in the truth.

And now, Father, we confess to you other sins and failings in the quiet of this moment.

…

Father in heaven, we look to you. We look to your Son. We want to be tuned to the fork of your word, not the course and pattern of this world. 

Make us a church of men and women who are not needlessly divisive nor shallow in our pursuit of unity. Help us not to be consumed with pursuing unity at any cost, nor to reject, because of our own folly, your blessing and good gift of unity in the truth. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.