Unity in Diversity to The End
John of Patmos, in the book of Revelation, describes his vision:
After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands.
At The End will be diversity - every nation, all tribes, all peoples, all languages - and unity - one Lamb and one throne, the same white robes and green palm branches. Both/and, not either/or. Unity in Christ will not erase diversity, uniqueness, differences, individuality. Diversity in God's love will not mean anything goes; the togetherness will be real.
The goal and end gets to be what we practice and pursue every day in the meantime.
The unity revealed in Revelation has at least three dimensions. We are one in Christ:
- as a gift, because those robes are washed clean in the blood of the Lamb
- in allegiance, because gathering around the throne denotes acknowledging authority, obeying, being loyal
- in praise, because the palm branches are symbols of giving thanks and praise
A gift is something we can only receive. We do not create the unity. We cannot destroy it. God gives it, and what God gives, endures. Unity is grace. We receive the gift of unity as we bear in patience and courageous peacemaking what is broken between and among us, as well as when we forgive and love and encourage and celebrate each other. We need not fear division, or being accused of causing division as we pursue love. Christ is our unity. Christ unites and reunites and reveals the hidden wholeness.
And as Dallas Willard says, "Grace is opposed to earning, not effort." The effort of unity is expressed in allegiance to the Lamb. It is not forced or enforced. It is not our way. It is Christ's way. Unity includes surrender. The one who surrendered himself for us loosens our self-centered grip on all that is less than love. Allegiance is the gift of ourselves we give in response to Christ's loving gift of himself. As we bear with each other because Christ bears with us - not because we agree or are the same or even like each other - we express our allegiance to Christ. In Revelation, the multitude endured in obedience and loyalty to the Lamb, through suffering. They persisted in love, even as the Lamb who was slain persisted in love.
And they praised the Lamb because the Lamb was victorious. Not only slain but risen. Love wins. The faithful are vindicated. Christ's way of unity in diversity is vindicated. It is a difficult, self-giving, cross-destined way but it is the way of resurrection and life. Hallelujah! Praise be to Christ!
Consider the marathon runner who pushes on, encouraging herself when the race is hardest by thinking about how good the finish line celebration will be. Such is the practice of unity, which is none other than the practice of love.
Recently, at the funeral of my friends' father, I heard him describe what he learned from his dad: "Winners make losers, but leaders make leaders." This is what Christ asks of us in this divided and dangerous world. It feels like losing. It is thankless and unseen often but meaningful nonetheless, because in this loving losing, we participate in the sweet victory of Christ. Sweeter still for the sweat, blood, and tears (Christ's foremost) along the way.
Even now, there are leaders of love in every nation, all tribes, all peoples, all languages. Look for them. Let them inspire and encourage us to be, with them, living signs of the Lamb's victory, which is no one's loss.
Thanks be to God.
Pastor Clark Olson-Smith