“HOW GOOD AND PLEASANT IT IS WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE LIVE TOGETHER IN UNITY!” —PSALM 133:1, NIV
Scientists have no idea how many insect species exist, but they estimate there are 10 quintillion individual insects alive at any one time (a quintillion has 18 zeros). Talk about diversity!
Everyone is talking about diversity these days. But how many people stop and think, “God Himself is the author of diversity.”
Diversity is a good thing, but the more important unity actually strengthens diversity.
Israel consisted of twelve diverse tribes, with distinct identities. And yet God was communicating: “You must not be twelve but one.” There is something that supersedes your tribalism. You have to have something bigger than just you and your gifts, talents, abilities, and distinctions. You are one nation, not twelve nations.
So what united this varied and competitive assembly of tribes called Israel?
First, worship. God established seven feasts and told Israel to come to His Temple in Jerusalem and worship Him with one heart, one mind, and one spirit.
Worship brings diverse people together and keeps them strong. We can’t just continue as our separate tribe in worship, or else we will disperse and eventually disappear.
Israel also united against their common enemies in warfare. If you try to fight the enemy as a single tribe, you’ll be picked off. That’s precisely what happened to the ten northern tribes of Israel. They separated from the two southern tribes, lost everything, and were taken into captivity.
When America began as thirteen colonies, each had its own identity. They varied in their Christian doctrines and practices, each believing they were better and more biblical than the others. They were even arguing with pamphlets and speeches. Then the British showed up, and Benjamin Franklin said, “We must indeed all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”
We’d better humble ourselves and see that there is something bigger at stake than our tribal identities.
Diversity is good, but unity is vital. Our local congregation has unique gifts and callings that can enrich other parts of the Body of Christ, just as others have gifts we need.
We are at the most critical hour of human history. We are getting ready for the return of the King of Kings, and at the same time, we are at war.
Our war is not with another denomination or group, or the person sitting next to you in church. We’re at war with the devil. If we spend our energies criticizing each other, we’re going to get wiped out. We are His family and can worship together based on who Jesus is and what He’s done. But we’ve also got to humble ourselves and realize our need for one another. Unless we’re united in worship and warfare, we’ll have adversity in our diversity.
