Not You-nity: What Unity Really Means

Like many others, I couldn’t help but notice the Olympics that took place this year. Even living in a house without cable, I couldn’t escape it.

Watching the gymnasts, I noticed an interesting motto by “Tokyo 2020.” The motto was, “united by emotion.” Passion. Energy. Commitment. I think these were the ideas they were trying to convey. The athletes who perform are energized and moved and driven by the need to persevere and win. I just thought “emotion” was an interesting word choice.

Naturally, this made me think of what we’re united by. As a church, what unites us? Humanitarian work? Hype and emotion? I’ve visited churches that are largely emotion-driven as well as listened to messages that are full of intensity. Yet how does it play out in the real world?

Emotional encounters, worship songs, and willpower ultimately are insufficient to keep us disciplined when we’re tempted or distracted by other priorities. Emotion and feeling moved aren’t negative things, but the foundation of genuine faithfulness and unity is not something fleeting.

Consider John 17:20-23: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

I was trying to decide what to include, but it was all too good.

Jesus prays that we would be one and in Him so that the world may believe Jesus is all He says He is. This is the goal of our unity, and that all may see our good works and praise our Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16). In the words usually accredited to Martin Luther, “God doesn’t need your good works, but your neighbor does.”

Jesus’ prayer for us was not unity at all costs. Some things are too important to not be divisive over, and unity isn’t simply common assent. It’s not about us but Him.

If we are trying to decide what’s major and minor, maybe an important question is, “Does this issue risk distorting or detracting from the person or teaching of Jesus?” Could coming to the wrong conclusion lead others astray? Could it become a stumbling block? Is it whether homosexuality is sinful, or whether women can be pastors, or the color of the carpet?

Jesus has also given us His glory (wow!) so that we may be one and brought to unity. We are not unified on our own, because we look the same, come from the same place, have the same experiences or culture, or have the same interests. We are one because Jesus has given us His glory!

As people walk toward the same object, they also become closer to one another. We are not unified because we are great, or because we have willpower, or because “unity” is the word of the day.

Good Olympic teams aren’t united for the sake of unity; there’s something deeper, a commonality that draws them together, a common sport, country, or goal. Unity is about purpose.

As Christians, we unite around Him. Unity essentially is not about you. It is about something greater.

The result? The world will know two things: first, that God is the One who sent Jesus, and second, that He loves us as He loved His Son. Can we even wrap our minds around that? Onlookers will know what God says repeatedly in the book of Ezekiel, that He is the Lord, and that Jesus comes from Him.

They will also be awed by—of all things—God’s love. They are not inspired to go to “fit in” or shake hands with a celebrity pastor; they stand in awe of God’s love. For us. If our “unity” is not pointing to Christ and the love of the Father, something isn’t right.

This is a different unity from the unity of our world. One song in particular seems to echo the plea of our culture: “Why Can't We All Just Get Along?” The title says a lot. The singer talks about how “words turn into explosions” and “we hurt one another.”

His solution? Love and forgiveness. Second chances. Talking. Finding common ground. Just admit you’re wrong, and we’ll be okay. Throw the haters out. “Peace and love,” dude.

Part of me wants to say, “Okay, then, just agree with me.”

As humans, we cannot produce love on our own (1 Jn. 3:16), and we all have different ideas of how the world should work. We can’t find peace within (Jn. 14:27). (I talk more about finding peace here.) And other people need more than our forgiveness (Eph. 1:7). Because Christ took our punishment, God can forgive those who repent and trust Him, but not so we can just “get along” (Rom. 10:9).

Our world wants peace. We want love, peace, and forgiveness, but it’s impossible without God. All have sinned (Rom. 3:23). We cannot find goodness within us because we are basically bad. If we threw the haters out, there would be no one left.

We need God, but He makes Himself available to us (Jer. 29:13). Because of Him, our searching is over. Because of Him, we can find what we’re looking for. And we don’t just join a team but a family.

“United by emotion”? Nah. Maybe “united by devotion.”