unity = mediocrity - vision + fear

I think our concept of unity sometimes deviates from the unity I see in Scripture and in some thriving churches.

I think our concept of unity more closely resembles mediocrity.  Mediocrity - settling for what everybody is comfortable with rather than pushing for the right decision to be made, even if it means conflict.  It's managing around differing viewpoints and opinions rather than examining them openly.  It's allowing someone's weakness, insecurity, agenda, or forcefulness to dictate what we communicate to them, alter the course of discussion, or direct the path to a decision.  The end result is always mediocre - never as good as it could have been.  But, we did everything we could to limit conflict and keep everyone happy.

Is this really unity - the unity that God desires, or that Scripture calls for?  I think it more resembles a pseudo-spiritual principle of being nice.  Unity isn't unity if what we're unified around is mediocrity.  Unity doesn't settle.

Why do we in the name of unity so often settle for mediocrity?  Because we lack vision.  We lack vision.  We forget that things can be different than what they are, or than what they've always been.  We're unwilling to consider that things should be different than what they are or have always been.  Maybe we don't think that we're able to cast a vision that will change people's minds and hearts.  Or perhaps we're unwilling to call people to the vision.  More likely, we're not confident that our vision is God's vision.  And so when we have to count the cost of following after the vision, our first reaction is to do a head count of who we think might go along, rather than clearly articulating the pure and burning vision that God has set before us.

Which leads me to the single most potent agent that muddies up our concept of unity: fear.  We are afraid of conflict.  We're afraid to call someone out.  We're afraid of being wrong ourselves.  We're afraid of an unforseen or uncalculated outcome.  We're afraid that God won't show up.  We're afraid to take a risk.  We're afraid of responding too defensively or too forcefully.  We're afraid to stir up the pot.  We're afraid of being misunderstood.  We're afraid of causing damage or harm.  We're afraid of failing.

And so rather than confront our fear, we retreat into the crowd, bow to whoever is the loudest, defer to whoever is the most vocal about their discomfort, and keep the peace.

I'd rather be unified around a gospel that overturns moneychanging tables, gets labeled as gluttony or drunkenness, offends the overly religious, sets captive people free, relies on the Holy Spirit, and picks fights with the power brokers...


...than a pseudo-gospel that everyone agrees upon but actually does nothing.