“Unity–not uniformity” or… What Gay Marriage has to do with the Church

           Okay. Just so you’ll know. My wife hates this title.

           She thinks I ought to dump it.

            I hope by the time you read this blog you’ll know why I chose it.

            A phrase I have heard all my life has been this, “Unity–not uniformity.” Usually, 

that statement is said in the context of passages such as Ephesians 4:1-16 or Rom. 14-15 

that talk about the importance of church unity.

            What this statement means, of course, is that members of the church do not have to 

look alike, act alike, or even think alike. As a matter of fact, the appeals in Scripture for unity 

imply that Christians are often extremely diverse, different, and divergent in their cultures, 

attitudes, and views. Otherwise, there would be no need for a call to unity.

            I am fascinated by how we accept that humanity’s most fundamental relationship-

outside of one's blood family-is based upon the biblical presupposition that two humans 

will enter into it as different. The two will enter into it totally distinct in terms of genetics, 

culture, and gender. I am of course talking about marriage.

            In marriage, you have the union of a man and woman. Typically, this is a collision of

temperaments and hormones, ambitions, and hobbies. Anatomically, they were even built by 

God to be fundamentally different.

            Yet, a man and woman in marriage are called by God to build unity through their 

relationship with Christ. Is this difficult? Well… yes! In spite of this, God builds this challenge 

into His call to creation.

            When a man and a woman pull marriage off, it is a beautiful thing. And the more 

diverse, the more beautiful.

            Again, we Christians assume the difference of the sexes, but it is fun to see a couple 

harmonize hobbies and sleeping schedules, thermostat settings and toothpaste caps (on or 

off?). I especially enjoy watching a couple cancel out each other’s vote in an election—each 

one a member of a different political party.

            An even more critical community is the church; for it is within this community that 

Jesus has chosen to express His saving work (Eph. 1:22-23, Col. 1:25-28.) Keep in mind, 

before God established the church, he established the community of Israel to call lost people 

all over the world to find a relationship with Him through His group of “called-out” ones.

            God specifically instructed the members of His community to be a light to the world. 

They were called to call foreigners to join their community and find God.            

            But foreigners were so enormously different! Yes; still, God issued that call.

            Unfortunately, Israel would not tolerate the difference. To put it in fancy terms: Israel 

did not want heterogeneity; Israel wanted homogeneity. That is to say, Israel would not 

accept diversity. Israel insisted upon uniformity—to her own peril.

            Sadly, early in the first century, the community that we know as the church suffered from

 the same problem. Jesus told his disciples that they were to take His message of reconciliation

 to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to all corners of the earth. God had to allow persecution to 

arrive before those Jewish Christians would be willing to begin doing His will.

            Even after that, the Gentiles entering into the Kingdom created a crisis for the Jewish 

Christians. Many seemed culturally and temperamentally incapable of welcoming Gentiles, 

unless the Gentiles agreed to buy a view exactly like the Jews. This especially meant Jewish 

customs such as observation of the Sabbath and diet.

            Now, don't miss this. In the critical communities-marriage, Israel, and the church-

God consistently calls his people to relate in community with those who are different. 

Behold – the pattern!

            Paul fought many battles against those who refused to fellowship with Christians who 

were different. Again, to put it in fancy terms: many Christians, especially Jewish Christians, 

did not want heterogeneity; they wanted homogeneity. That is to say, they would not accept 

diversity. They insisted upon uniformity—to their own peril.

            It was this battle that motivated Paul to write letters such as Galatians, Ephesians, and 

Romans. Over and over again, Paul argued that through creation and community, God has 

called people to engage in relationships that create unity in spite of diversity.

            Indeed, God’s presupposition was that there would be no uniformity, only unity (see 

Eph. 2:11-22.), just like in marriage.

            It's funny, today so many in the Christian world disagree with gay marriage on a 

fundamental level. I certainly join with them in this opinion.

            Gay marriage goes against the creative work of God. In gay marriage, people do not 

seek heterogeneity; they seek homogeneity. They celebrate homosexuality instead of 

heterosexuality. This is wrong.            

            In gay marriage, two people are attempting to construct the most fundamental of 

relationships on the basis of uniformity. This move is a perversion of God's creative work. 

Anatomically, they are uniform. Hormonally, they are uniform. In terms of the culture of gender, 

they are uniform.

            This was not the way God intended it. We get that.

            Nevertheless, some church members who blanch at the subject of gay marriage, 

without irony, fight tooth and nail for uniformity in a community in which God did not call for

uniformity–the church. These members want homogeneity not heterogeneity.

            God calls people of different races, languages, cultures, genders, and political positions 

to come to the cross and form a unified community. Yet, there are Christians who would pervert 

the gospel by insisting that Christians eliminate differences.

            In some extreme cases, the call is to eliminate different races within the same church. 

In other cases, and this is more prevalent, it is the insistence that members hold the same 

positions on as many issues as possible—even those that are opinion issues. ESPECIALLY 

THOSE THAT ARE OPINION ISSUES.

            Uniformity! With it–there is no need for unity.

            With uniformity (homogeneity), Christians are attempting to enjoy the love of God as 

expressed through people in His church in a way that is artificial. Anytime we force members 

to be uniform, we do not experience the real thing. It is a shallow, sad imitation.

            Many Christians, who are physically repulsed at the thought of same-sex marriage are 

totally oblivious to the fact they are trying to achieve the same thing on a spiritual level: they 

are trying to force community through uniformity (forcing homogeneity instead of heterogeneity.)

            I wonder if God is spiritually repulsed by that?

Five Things I Think I Think

(with a nod to Peter King for this idea)

1. For some reason, I can’t get fired up about college football this year. The BCS race just 

doesn’t do it for me. Maybe it has something to do with the Southeast Conference West having 

the top three teams.

2. Still, I wish I could have seen the Baylor/OU game Saturday night. Robert Griffin III is a MAN.

3. Nice to see Vince Young enjoy some success again. That was a crucial drive he led against 

the Giants last night.

4. Haleigh is in town, so we started over the weekend watching the second season of 24 on 

Netflix. What do I do this? I’m going to bed so late every night. I can hear Haleigh’s voice 

reverberate in my head, “Oh, come on! Let’s just watch one more episode.”

5. Have a happy Thanksgiving. Be safe.