Unity in the Age of Outrage

In this age of outrage, it is easy to focus on what divides us. Even Christians occasionally treat one another with the spirit characteristic of our hostile culture, rather than with the life-giving Spirit of the risen Christ.

Perhaps now, more than ever, we need to call one another to maintain the precious unity of the church.

Much like today, profound cultural, political, and religious tensions existed in the first century. Opposing histories, practices, and preferences bred suspicion and hostility—and no power-brokering or religious toleration brought old animosities to an end.

Only the church of the risen Christ pierced the darkness of cultural hostility. In the church, Jew and Gentile were members of the same body. By his Cross, Jesus not only atoned for our sin and absorbed the wrath of God, he obliterated any claim of moral or ethnic superiority. Paul reminds the Ephesians, “for he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and broke down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” Through his death, Jesus created “in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace” and through himself, reconciled “us both to God in one body, through the Cross, thereby killing the hostility” (Eph 3.14-16).

That’s why Paul exhorts us to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (4.3). Our unity, therefore, is not potential—it is actual. And what impedes our unity is not our different histories, cultures, practices, or preferences. It is our pride. The obstacle to walking “in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (4.3) is our unwillingness to humble ourselves, to be gentle and patient, to bear long with one another in light of God’s gentle forbearance with us (4.2).

Unity isn’t an optional add-on to the Christian life—if we are God’s children we must live in a manner that makes that unity obvious. And, Paul reminds us, God delights to give us more grace (3:20).