So Much for Unity

In his inaugural address Biden’s plea included one for national restoration, “Without unity there is no peace.” To that I would add, “Without truth, there is no unity.” The nation is split right down the middle, both sides insisting on their own version of Truth. The President’s intimation is that all of those on the red side come over to the blue side, and then, we can parody a civil nation.

I am not sure what he is asking for, or what he thinks he is asking for, but I do not see unity perched upon the horizon of our country anytime soon; the blue olive branch is a little too rife with thorns–the accusations are too many.

Because of my political posture I am accused by his acolytes as being un-woke, a white supremacist, ignorant, racist, an idiot, a Nazi, a ‘tin-foil’ clansman. I am threatened to be censored; excoriated court of public opinion; cancelled, blocked, edited or banned; accused of being the “enemy within,” in need of “reprogramming.” Because I am deemed to be seditious to blue ideology, I may be denied the privilege of eating a burger at a particular joint, buying goods or services, or posting on social media… because I support “the wrong side.” These indictments are nothing less than polarizing.

Nothing is being undertaken with my side of the aisle in mind. 

Zero Evangelicals have been included in cabinet selections; seemingly endless attempts to disparage Trump; and continued attempts to confound God’s good order through executive mandates. The Equality Act punctuates an ideology which stands in dark contrast to my ideology, but more importantly, to the ideology of God.… So, where is the olive branch of peace?

The current rhetoric is telltale sign enough that unity is not so much the sought-after ideal as much as conformity to a chosen ideology. “Follow us to the hard left, to the altar of Marx. Come and bow down to ourgods, those of abortion and sexual obfuscation.”

Under this present administration, nothing I can identify has sought to glorify God and His good order.

But still, we hear…

“But, hey! Can we be friends? Can we have unity?”

I don’t believe that Scripture ever asks Christians to cozy up to the other side in a civil capacity. Yes, we are to have unity in the Church, and even that is challenge enough–we are called to maintain the spirit of unity. And in some mysterious sense we come into unity with the Godhead through the blood of Christ. Those are pictures of relationship.

Yes, we are to have peace with all men so much as it is in our capacity to do so; but unity? – here, now, today? That’s is a different story… I don’t see that as a command in the pages of Scripture. I believe that we are to pray for our leaders, and to pray even for our enemies, but, there is a drastic chasm between civil posture and theological unity. And there is a sweeping divide between the values esteemed in the Oval Office and those cherished by orthodox Christianity.

So, do we need unity in the political realm in order to be good Christians civilians? The answer is, “No.” In fact, we see warnings given to avoid a compromise of values by ungodly influences (1 Corinthians 15:33).

And, Paul cautions in his letter to the Corinthians, “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God…” (2 Corinthians 6:14-16a). 

Those verses are very clear, that we are to practice safe distances from the unholy. So, if unity means that I need to get blood on my hands from 62 million abortions, or champion the new sexual revolution, then I’ll choose the continued division. (Psalm 1).

The list goes on with gender obfuscation, same-sex marriage, and the loss of, or restrictions to religious liberty.

“Isn’t this all political?” Some may ask. The answer is, “No.” A Chemical burn on a fetus, suction aspiration, the “day after pill,” or a snipping of the spinal cord is anything but political to that unborn life. It is anything but political to the heart of God. 

This is not a matter of blue or red…. I know many may not read that, or accept that, but it is true. It’s a greater matter of not being pressed into a secular mold. As Scripture commands: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

Do not be conformed to this world… using preferred sexual pronouns, obfuscation of gender, redefinition of the institution of marriage between same sex couples, and redefining life itself. But, leaving all other differences behind, the issue of abortion is enough to justify safe distances against the appeal to unity.

The world has an agenda which oftentimes is not in line with the will of God; we expect that; the Church should have an agenda which is clearly in line with Scripture. 

Unity is a noble ideal, but it cannot be embraced at the expense of God’s Truth. So, we should not join hands, and we should continue to press against those areas which stand in contrast to our faith values. 

This country has survived for hundreds of years with the ideal of division, yet all moving in the same general direction–through cooperation and compromise. We cannot be sure how that statesmanship will play out over the next several years, but for us to move, at least closer, we do likely need a clear picture of what that desired political unity would look like, without surrendering our firmly held ideals. 

Why this call to unity was not a mantra sought by the left during the previous administration is understandable; they did not, and do not embrace our values– so, the call to unity likely not be embraced today under this one. And, I am okay with that. So long as Biden (and the Left) continue to lead from an absence of biblical truth, the divide will only increase. So be it. Obey where we can, and refuse otherwise.

And though that is true we are still called to be civil, even winsome. And we must continue to pray for hearts that seek God.  However, unity cannot be sought at the expense of Truth without perilous consequences. Unity must not come through compromise.

So, unity? Sadly, not today!

Let’s keep in mind that our allegiance as Christians, first and foremost, is to the King of Kings.

A Special Note:
Hello, I want to thank you for your interest and support of TheShepherdsPen. In light of today’s political climate, and unstable social media, I would ask  you to consider subscribing (click here to go to the subscribing page) to the TheShepherdsPen.Com to insure we don’t lose touch. In doing so, normally, you could expect two emails a week from me, one on Saturday, and an “Echo” on Wednesday. I know you have all kinds of things flooding your email boxes, and your time is valuable, so I do thank you for walking a portion of the journey together. 

Thanks, Kelly