English (United States) 
"United, Not Divided: Why We Won't Be Talking Politics" from the 2024 Summer Vision Newsletter
Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls (Luke 11:17).
Politics are about taking sides: one opinion against the other, who is right and who is wrong, who will win and who will lose. It’s about convincing and coercing people to join your side, your team, your party against the other.
Jesus is the precious Mediator. His message is for all, His salvation is for all, and His love is for all. When the church picks a side, it alienates half its members. How can a church that chooses a side serve all? How can a minister who chooses a side care for every member? How can a member who chooses a side create a place where everyone feels at home and experiences the love of God? In Galatians 3:28, Paul calls the people out of their old identities and classes, out of their chosen sides, and asks them to adopt something new: to be one in Christ Jesus.
Right before His betrayal and arrest, Jesus prays: “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:20-21).
Who does Jesus pray for? Future believers: Jews, Gentiles, Romans, Samaritans, the enslaved and the enslavers, the educated and not so educated, the poor, middle class, and wealthy, the singled, married, divorced, and remarried, every race, every tongue, the Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Indecisive. All those who will believe. You and me.
What does He pray for? Unity – that we are one with each other, as Jesus is one with His Father.
Why unity? So that the world may believe that You have sent Me. Unity is vital to the purpose of the Church; our Mission and Vision are impossible to fulfi ll without it. Jesus prays that nothing would divide us, so that we can make disciples who believe in Him. Our unity in the gospel makes our message credible and convincing. And it’s a responsibility for every individual member. Perhaps our daily prayer should be – “Father, lead me toward unity and away from self-centeredness and division.”
Unity means choosing one another instead of choosing sides. We show unity by our love. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). Th e world will know that we are disciples of Christ by how we treat one another, and this behavior must be evident in our lives, not just a belief.
In an environment of hostility, persecution, and division, the first church was recognized by uncharacteristic compassion, generosity, selfl essness, and boldness. They captured the attention of their pagan neighbors through their character, morality, work ethic, charity, and friendship. They regularly took in orphans in a society that placed little value on children. And when the plague rampaged their cities, and everyone else escaped to the countryside, Christians stayed, cared for the sick, and buried the dead. The world knew and recognized Christians through their actions and the world will know to whom is our allegiance by how we treat, respond to, serve, forgive, and talk about one another.
Jesus chose not to fi x the systemic inequities rampant in the fi rst-century Near East, but, He did address the immediate needs of those around Him. To love others the way Jesus loves them requires us to stand in the messy middle, to get close, to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). Shouldering the burden of another allows us to be less judgmental, to let go of our assumptions and solutions and ask ourselves – “How can I put this person fi rst? What does love require of me? How can I love this person, the way Christ loves me?” When Christ is the center of my life, I bring unity to divisive conversations and seek solidarity and common ground when asked to choose sides.
Unity and love - this is what we should be known for.
- based on thoughts from the Chief Apostle