State of the Union

What is the state of your union?

The US Constitution requires the President to inform Congress “from time to time” of the “state of the union.” Traditionally, this is done each January. It’s about that time right now, but due to some political disputes between the parties involved, when and how that report will be delivered is up in the air. Regardless of how this plays out, an honest assessment of our country’s health would require both causes for celebration, and reasons for deep concern. One primary concern is the lack of union between segments of our population; our national motto, e pluribus unum, (out of many, one) seems to have been changed to ex uno plora (out of one, many).

You’ve heard the statement, “United we stand, divided we fall.” This aphorism goes back to at least 600 BC in one of Aesop’s fables called “The Four Oxen and the Lion”:

A lion used to prowl about a field in which four oxen used to dwell. Many a time he tried to attack them; but whenever he came near they turned their tails to warn another, so that whichever way he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them. At last, however, they fell to quarrel among themselves, and each went off to pasture alone in the separate corner of the field. Then the Lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end of all four. United we stand, divided we fall.

Patrick Henry quoted the statement, “United we stand, divided we fall,” in 1799 regarding a threat to our national unity; he added, “Let us not split into factions which must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs. Let us preserve our strength . . .  and not exhaust it in civil commotions and . . . wars.” (Where is Patrick when we need him?)

Earlier, at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Ben Franklin said famously, “We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.” And when Abraham Lincoln called attention to the disunity caused by slavery in the US, he quoted from Jesus’ words in Mark 3:25, “And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.”

Division and disunity are dangerous, potentially fatal, for a country. They are also dangerous for any important relationship, such as marriage or family membership. In the Old Testament, the union of husband and wife – “the two shall become one”(Genesis 2:24) – uses the particular Hebrew word for “one” (echad) that signifies a single entity, the same word used when describing our God as One: “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one (echad)”(Deuteronomy 6:4). God’s intent is for true unity in our marriages, and by extension to all our relationships with each other.

The most important relationship, and the one I really want to address, is our relationship with God. As I wrote in my most recent blog, our sin set up a wall of separation, of enmity, between us and God. This was symbolized by the heavy curtain in the Jewish Temple which closed off the Holy of Holies from the world. Only by very stringent, God-ordained ceremonies could that barrier be breached  and then only for sacrificial purposes. When the curtain tore in two at Jesus’ death, it showed what his death accomplished: the barrier was removed, and we were granted access to the mercy seat of God and welcomed back into his fellowship.

But now what? Now that we have been forgiven and reconciled to God, how do we continue in the unity which that requires?

1. First, we recognize that it is Jesus’ will that we remain in union with him and the Father (and of course, the Spirit). At the Last Supper, Jesus prayed what is called the High Priestly Prayer, which is recorded in John 17. He prayed for himself, for his disciples, and for all future believers (such as us). Part of that prayer is for unity: “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me”  (John 17:21-23). Note that our unity is not just for our benefit: it is also a sign to the world that Jesus came from God, and that we are God’s beloved. Our disunity defames and slanders God; our unity glorifies him and lifts him up to the world.
2. Second, we submit to God and recognize that the power for unity comes from him, and not from our good efforts. Jesus praised the Father for giving him his disciples, showing that God is who calls us to himself. His Holy Spirit calls, enlightens, and convicts us of the truth, creating in us the faith by which we are saved. The same Spirit continues to work in us to gather us together in the Church, and to enable us to follow God’s commandments. When we try to force unity (such as by church mergers) according to the world’s patterns, we will fail; when we try to make people work together, we often just push them further apart: “You’re going to be friends with each other and like it!” Our efforts will always fall short because our residual sin gets in the way. Pride, grudges, and divisive spirits ruin our efforts.
3. Third, though all sins create barriers, some are particularly devastating to unity with God and each other. Pride, idolatry, gossip, unforgiveness – and others you could mention – make true unity very difficult to achieve or maintain. The Apostle Paul warned the Corinthians against one such sin, a party spirit, when chastising them for dividing into parties devoted to different teachers. He said in 1 Corinthians 3:3-4, “For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not being merely human?” God calls on us to avoid such sins for the sake of unity. Once again, petty bickering destroys our witness to the world; love shown in our caring treatment of each other reveals we are Jesus’ disciples: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).
4. Fourth, there are practical ways to promote this unity. primary among them is the frequent and regular reception of Holy Communion. In that act, we are communing both vertically with God, and horizontally with each other. This sacrament is something that unifies us in Christ by receiving his blood and body, and to each other by publicly showing our faith and need for forgiveness. Receiving communion is an act of humility which levels us with all other believers regardless of human-contrived divisions such as status, demographics, or politics.  Other practical ways are by regular worship and fellowship activities, service opportunities, and leadership in the church. Finally, regular study of God’s Word helps correct our sinful and divisive tendencies and draws us close to God.
5. Finally, if we would be in unity with God, then following his will for our lives plays a big part. This means obeying the commandments which he has laid out in general for everyone such as “Do not steal.” But it also means following his directions for our individual lives. He has a purpose for each of us; finding and seeking to follow that purpose honors God, fulfills his intent, and blesses us with the peace of knowing we are in God’s will. Once again, we recognize that apart from God we cannot keep his will, nor by keeping it do we earn his approval. But as those who are one with him, how can we not seek to do his will?

So then, how is your state of the union doing? Do you find yourself avoiding God’s Word out of fear that it might tell you to change your behavior? Do you feel at peace with him, or are there things that are making you feel uncomfortable? Do you look forward to worship and other church gatherings, or are there some people there you would rather avoid? Have you prayed for forgiveness, and have you prayed for his strength to face difficult situations or temptations?

God wants you to be one with him and with your brothers and sisters in Christ; how is that union doing?

May the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: John 17, 1 Corinthians 3, 1 Corinthians 12:12-26