A lack of understanding threatens unity. Jesus deliberated deeply on the cross about what it means to be human and God. He unites us with God. We have hope of unity as people too. The key is to deliberate. Deliberate unity!
Unity Divided
“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the LORD.”
Jeremiah 23:1
Jeremiah was a prophet who lived during a time of division and conflict for God’s people in Jerusalem around 600 BCE. Assyria had conquered the northern tribes and made Jerusalem a vassal state. But things were going from bad to worse. Babylon conquered Assyria and had its eye on Jerusalem. The people became divided.
One camp of people in Jerusalem devoted themselves to the king and the temple. They believed that a line of kings descended from David would rule Jerusalem forever, and that God favored Jerusalem over all other nations. The key to maintain favor and power with God was to worship God in the temple according to the sacrifices prescribed by the priests.
Another camp of people felt differently about Jerusalem’s place and security with God. They felt that the key to having power and maintaining security was through a faithful adherence to the law. They looked to Moses as a great prophet who revealed God’s law to the people. There would be blessing and abundance if the people followed the law and lived ethically. If the people didn’t follow the law then their situation would get worse, God would judge them, and despair would be assured.
While the people in Jerusalem grew more divided, they became an easier target for Babylon. The leaders were exiled to Babylon, the city captured, and the temple destroyed. This exile ruptured the belief that Jerusalem would live in favor and peace forever.
Lack of Understanding Divides
Destroying unity and sewing division is an ancient strategy for weakening an opponent. One way to sew division is to keep people uninformed. The people are fearful when uninformed. Fear leads people to divide themselves and be suspicious of groups who appear different.
We are currently living in a time of division. Bishop Emeritus Murray Finck mentioned last week that social issues seem to have driven a wedge between people on issues ranging from the economy, to immigration, foreign policy, and the environment. A lack of deliberate understanding fuels division during our own time.
Sometimes we choose to be uninformed, because we feel as though we lack any power to make a difference. Lots of people have lost faith in elections so they don’t bother putting in the work to deliberate on issues or candidates. Lack of understanding increases when people get stuck inside “echo chambers.” They only listen to the media outlets they agree with and don’t take the time to understand different points of view.
When Jesus was dying on the cross three different people asked the same question showing a lack of understanding during their time too. They asked, “Why doesn’t this Jesus save himself?” They thought that a leader had to be powerful by taking power from others and keeping it for themselves. While Jesus was suffering on the cross during his crucifixion he looked out and saw a divided people who didn’t understand. He said,
“Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Luke 23:34
Deliberate Unity in Jesus
What Jesus did on the cross was deliberate. He overcame the division between God and humanity by this deliberate act. It would have been easier to not endure the cross. We could imagine Jesus using super-human powers to avoid suffering. But then as a divine being he would remain uninformed about the terrible suffering human beings experience throughout the world and throughout time. Jesus didn’t take the easy way out, however, he gave up a privileged status of being divine in order to deeply understand the frailties of human existence. By enduring the cross and the depth of human suffering Jesus united every aspect of humanity to God through deliberation.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers–all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:15-17
Jesus showed that true leaders are willing to be servants and to sacrifice themselves in order to save and care for their people. By dying in such a public and vulnerable way he questioned the assumption of the day, that leaders and saviors had to be strong men who took power from others. Jesus gives his power away thereby unifying God and people.
Unity Is Possible
Even though we live in a time of division; unity is possible. We too can have hope in a new life and unity in our world today. You might have caught a news story a few weeks ago about an experiment called, “America in One Room.” In this experiment a randomly selected group of people were invited to come to Texas for a few days. The group consisted of an accurate representation of America. Age, race, gender, culture, religion, and of course, political and social viewpoints were represented.
At the beginning of their time together each person filled out a survey about what they thought on a variety of issues including some of the most divisive issues of our time: immigration, environment, foreign policy, health care, and the economy. The surveys reflected the kinds of division we all know about and hear about in the news.
500 people deliberated over the next few days. They heard presentations by subject matter experts in each of these areas. The experts represented strong positions of opposition to one another. Participants would then deliberate on topics in small groups. Each group was a mixture of people with different viewpoints. Each group had a moderator whose job it was to keep the peace, and to let each person share during their turn.
The same 500 people received the exact same survey as when they started. What happened? There was significantly more unity around each topic. People changed their mind once they had an opportunity to learn more, and to listen to other people who they thought they disagreed with. People deliberating with one another strengthens unity.
Deliberate Unity
Deliberating is a sacrificial process. It can be uncomfortable and at times maybe even painful to listen to someone with whom you disagree with passionately. However, when we take the time to listen to an opposing viewpoint we confront our own ignorance and grow in unity. We can look to Jesus as a positive example of someone who wasn’t afraid to deliberate. If Jesus could give his life to understand us better, we can risk being a little uncomfortable to learn about our neighbor’s perspective.
God’s people went through the pain of exile during the time of Jeremiah. They deliberated on what had happened to them and why. In the process they created one of the greatest works of divinely inspired literature in the history of the world: The First Testament of the Bible. Before the exile there were loose collections of writings and verbal tradition. God’s people gathered the writings, the law, and the prophets together. It is a profoundly deliberative document. It weaves together different traditions of understanding God and who we are. Jeremiah gives hope for this deliberate unity when he prophesied:
Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the LORD.
Jeremiah 23:3-4
Dear friends, I wonder if it is time for the church to take a leadership role deliberation. I have heard from many of our members that one of the things they like most about our church is that they feel safe being able to disagree. We can talk about the things that matter most to us. Listen to people who we love and at the same time disagree with. We can have faith that God will lead us to a place where we can move forward together. Maybe God is calling us to be lead unity through deliberation. Amen.
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