America has certainly been more divided historically, consider the Civil War over slavery. However, it feels like the temperature is being turned up today; it’s like we are quickly approaching a big American divorce. Sadly, a lot of this tension revolves around our climate of politicization.

Examples include: unfriending people online, family splits, selective social distancing, boycotts, vilifying or ignoring sources of information, smears, slander, moving States, getting people fired, deplatforming, campaigns like #Blexit and #WalkAway, videos DESTROYING opponents, claims of censorship, increased polarization between urban and suburban. There is nuance in all these examples, but they do highlight the broad feelings of increasing separation.

As a Pastor, one of my great fears is that Christians are being sucked into the cultural cyclone of estrangement. Are we allowing the forces around us to impact our views of one another, but also undermine our call to radical unity?

Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. – Colossians 3:11

Our unity can only come from our identity in Christ, and not our allegiance to earthly groups. If we are struggling to be unified, it is precisely because we are experiencing a misplaced identity in something other than Christ.

To be a Christian means we are called to forgive our worst enemies, be patient with everyone, tolerate snappy sheep, make adjustments for the weak, sacrifice for the greater good, fight for the truth, share grace, live for the bigger picture, seek God’s kingdom, listen, understand, and humbly strive towards reconciliation.

As it relates to the nature of the gospel, we really must see eye-to-eye. But, even in this process, how we do it really matters. Seeking unity around our Christian beliefs must still be a process saturated in humility, honesty, and love.

However, as it relates to our opinions around cultural happenings, we are allowed to differ on our conclusions. While we should not compromise on core Christian beliefs, we can compromise culturally. We must allow each other this freedom. Discerning the times is hard; not many can successfully observe their own epoch as if they belonged to another. Hopefully this gives us pause to be thoughtful and intentional about differing views.

Our differences of opinion in cultural matters should not be an excuse for disunity in the church.

As we head towards another divisive election, in pandemic restrictions, with racial tension, unrest, and financial uncertainty, we must have a mature mindset about our identity and our church community. Not everyone will see current events the same way. We all have our reasons. We all have our convictions. But since we all have Christ, we have something far higher and far more important.

This means we must be willing to exist in a church where people land in various places. We must embrace them as Christian siblings first and foremost. Please allow me to do a full brain dump of various social conclusions and preferences that likely exist in many churches, and possibly in ours…

• Some will lack sensitivity, others be crippled by it, and still others honestly unaware. Love them the same.
• Some will post things on Social Media we don’t like, others will be entirely silent. Love them the same. 
• Some support taking a knee during the national anthem, some do not. Love them the same.
• Some will vote Republican, some will vote Democrat, others Third Party, or not vote at all. Love them the same.
• Some will vote on a single issue, others will think such a vote is preposterous. Love them the same.
• Some strongly embrace BLM, some strongly reject it, while others are unsure or indifferent. Love them the same.
• Some are barely informed, some are highly informed, and some are wrongly informed. Love them the same.
• Some think social ills are because of personal responsibility, while some think they are about external factors, while others fall on the spectrum. Love them the same.
• Some see government as the greatest threat, while others point the finger at free enterprise. Love them the same.
• Some blame capitalism, others blame socialism. Love them the same.
• Some think Trump is Hitler, others King David, while others the Monopoly Man. Love them the same.
• Some think Joe Biden has early dementia, others say he’s as sharp as ever, while others don’t know or don’t care. Love them the same.
• Some enjoy the political humor of late night comedians or the Babylon Bee, some don’t get it, and others are greatly offended. Love them the same.
• Some watch CNN or MSNBC, others Fox News, others C-Span, and yet others nothing. Love them the same.
• Some get their opinions from Rachel Maddow, some from Tucker Carlson, others from Dave Rubin, still others from Oprah or The Rock. Love them the same.
• Some read The New York Times, some read The Washington Post, others are “buzz fed”, some read it all, and some read nothing. Love them the same.
• Some follow The Daily Wire and Ben Shapiro, others follow The Young Turks and Cenk Uygur. Love them the same.
• Some follow Alex Jones, some follow Shaun King, while others follow Tim Pool. Love them the same.
• Some agree with Cornel West, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Robin DiAngelo, while others agree with Thomas Sowell, Coleman Hughes, and Shelby Steele. Love them the same.
• Some will claim to be color-blind, while others say color-blindness is insensitive. Love them the same.
• Some will side with the police, some against them, others have nuanced positions. Love them the same.
• Some will call it protesting, some will call it rioting, and others remain uninformed. Love them the same.
• Some will label a thing racist, or a microaggression, or implicit bias, while others will disagree with these conclusions. Love them the same.
• Some will vent immediately, while others cautiously wait for more details. Love them the same.
• Some will fully embrace Critical Race Theory, some will think it’s dangerous, and others will be somewhere in between. Love them the same.
• Some will admit if they get duped by doctored videos, fake posts, and bogus reports, while others will dig their heels in. Love them the same.
• Some dislike America, others love America, and many are somewhere in between. Love them the same.
• Some believe strongly in white privilege, some reject it, others have developed more nuanced views, and some are unsure. Love them the same.
• Some believe in voter fraud, some in voter suppression, while others still aren’t registered to vote. Love them the same.
• Some believe in systemic racism, others reject it, others hold more complicated views, some are uncertain. Love them the same.
• Some may feel angry about this list, some will think it’s stupidly long or unnecessarily detailed, others will think of things I missed, while others will skim it. Love them the same.

All these preferences, opinions, and views are permissible in God’s church. We can’t all be correct about these things, but we are free to believe them. Perhaps some of us will evolve on these over time, but that’s not the point I am making. If God eternally loves us in Christ, and has brought us into the same family, then we can learn to love one another in spite of these differences. It seems appropriate to quote the most famous passage on love…

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (emphasis added)

Love is the key to unity, and our shared identity in Christ is the greatest gift of sacrificial love we have ever been given. Let’s cling to it like never before. Remember, Christ died for our sins, and our inclusion. He died for our unity. Let’s honor His substitution. After addressing unity in marriage, the Apostle Peter broadens his teaching to the whole church. He writes: 

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. – 1 Peter 3:8

Since it is written to “all of you”, that means we must first apply it to ourselves instead of being preoccupied with others. We must seek like-mindedness, rather than division. We must give sympathy, rather than feel entitled to it. We must act like blood family, rather than mere acquaintances. We must be tender-hearted, rather than combative. He must be humble in our thoughts, and quick to assume our own ignorance.

The reason the world is in such a pickle is because these Biblical values have been reversed. So then, rather than trying to score points on cultural issues, let’s practice the discomfort of being close to people with different opinions. If Christ is the center of our lives, this should not be difficult; in fact it will be glorifying to God.

In a time of division, let us be the counterculture that builds unity. Let’s enjoy the grace of Jesus, by sharing grace in our relationships.