“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” -Romans 15:5-6 (NIV)
Why do we love forming divisions? This desire is found in every community; even in the Christian Church. The origins of this question however, seem to lie in the human tendency to form cliques and elite groups to enhance their own self-worth. Since we are human and prone to conditional love, we only like to deal with people who are our like ourselves. Such an insular brotherhood ends up polarizing people; which becomes the source of all conflict.
Division is something that God did not want in His creation. Are there differences in the world He has created? Yes there are. But these differences are meant to complement each other in order so that creation in general and humanity in particular would be unified serving the one true God. When people put their group on a pedestal, claiming it to be the one that truly follows Christ, they are not serving and worshiping Christ. They are serving and worshiping their group. There have been noble attempts to do away with these divisions by human hands, but often they themselves end up becoming elite clubs. The Church is comprised of different parts. But only with Christ bestowing upon His followers the spirit of unity can we become blind to divisions based on earthly criteria. Man’s designs for unity and conformity will only divide, but only Christ can unite people together so that they may serve Him with one heart and one mouth.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
