“Go along so we can get along”

How many times in your life has someone told you that? It’s never felt very good to me, when another tells me that I should conform to expectations, just so we can move along. It does not create a fulfilling life nor needed change.

We  like unity. We don’t like division. We like agreement. We use the image of “coming together.” The only problem (and it’s a big one) is often achieving unity means converting others to the majority point of view, the point of view of those who hold power. “Going along so we can get along.”

In the life of the church, the idea of unity often doesn’t create togetherness, rather it creates winners and losers. It becomes the act of converting others to the “winners’” point of view.

We Don’t Agree…Now What? Is a crossroads any religious community will face. The church in Corinth, one of the earliest communities of Jesus followers faced this dilemma and received this advice from Paul, “Now I encourage you brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Agree with each other and don’t be divided into rival groups. Instead be restored with the same mind and the same purpose.”  1 Corinthians 1:10

The same mind and the same purpose? I love how Eugene Peterson says this in his Message translation, “cultivating a life in common”

We don’t need cheap unity. We shouldn’t live to “go along so we can get along.” We are looking at how we live as resurrection people in a hurting world. This Sunday, we will ask ourselves this question, “To whom do you belong?” While the answer may seem obvious, our living suggests otherwise.

The Now What? Portion of We Don’t Agree becomes a lot clearer when our lives reflect the answer to “To Whom Do You Belong?” The path to cultivating a life in common reflects a particular way of life.

Join us for worship at Geist Christian Church this Sunday at 10 AM on YouTube. You can search for Promise Road Live or follow this link https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBQ6MRcQJO6v8ux2s9Un2gA  We would love for you to hit the subscribe button. “See” you on Sunday.

Grace and peace,

Danny