“Blessed are the peacemakers,” Jesus said at the beginning of his public ministry. And though that teaching has been widely ignored, for several hundred years the watchword of Christian peacemakers has been, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, love.” For some, these words are too idealistic; for others, they are too near a creed. But many Christians, of varying traditions or denominations, have long held these simple but difficult words as a beacon of guidance, a pacific policy for those of us trying – like you and me – to follow Jesus together in peace.
There are variations in terminology, of course, with similar meaning. For instance, it is helpful to consider the “essentials” alongside the “important” and “personal” elements of our faith lives. Certainly, the essentials are those Biblical beliefs that pertain to our salvation, to our union with the resurrected Christ, who is Lord. The important beliefs, on the other hand, are just that – important, but not salvific, not redemptive in themselves. They do help us, having been saved, to walk out our faith and develop in discipleship. In contrast, the personal elements or beliefs tend to be preferences or opinions, not too unlike the “disputable matters” of Romans 14.[i]
Recently, Daniel McCoy wrote an article with the striking title “In Nonessentials, Unity?” – eyebrow-raising words for those steeped in the traditional maxim mentioned above. McCoy suggests that, by and large, we demonstrate (albeit imperfectly) Christian unity with each other in essential and even important matters, but that when it comes to personal beliefs, we too frequently treat each other “with a laziness shockingly mismatched to the intensity with which we hold the views.” By laziness, I understand that he means an unwillingness to put forth the effort to love a Christian brother or sister, specifically within a given church.
He makes a good point. After all, among those who already assemble and worship together, there is likely significant agreement already on the larger, “first bucket,” major ideas (the salvation essentials) and even on important elements like congregations, denominations, traditions, or movements. The big things tend to hold us together (they help to bring us together in the first place), but often the little things tear us – or, at least, keep us – apart. Consider the brother who votes differently than you, the sister whose hermeneutics or exegesis is unlike yours, or the family whose practices and observances are not your own. Why is it that we often shun them, disparage them, or even condemn them? Love-laziness, it seems. We can be diligent in basic spiritual disciplines, while yet slothful in loving one another. If “love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet. 4:8), then love can cover a multitude of differences, preferences, opinions, and even annoyances.
Unity does not mean uniformity, just as oneness does not mean sameness. Brotherhood is not identicalness, and fellowship is not groupthink. If in any way we have the same mind, it is because we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16; Phil. 2:5). As the inherently diverse body of Christ, the church has room for personal or nonessential differences among its members. McCoy says, “Coming from different backgrounds, formed by different experiences, we’re going to frustrate each other. But that’s where unity steps in, not where it gets off.” We didn’t establish or create unity; Christ did that. But we are called to “keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). Our agreement about the essential and major elements, says McCoy, “fuels our unity” for those times when “we’re impatient with each other and feel like dumping them as if they were a heavy load.”
In supporting the suggestion implicit in his title, McCoy points to the necessary qualities in Paul’s instructions in Ephesians 4:1-3. “If unity means humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with each other, and peace, then unity is precisely what’s needed for matters of personal opinion.” Because we are united, we love. When we love, we remain united.
If I “major in the minors” or make the small things the big things, I turn the personal into the essential, which is – effectively – divisiveness. If I diminish my brothers or sisters for disputable matters, opinions, or nonessential differences (when we are otherwise united), I diminish the body of Christ. If I do these things, then I have neglected to love, and I need to repent.
Lord, may we be led by the unity of your Spirit to consider and treat each other, even in our liberties, with truth and grace, and always with Christian love. May that help the world believe.
[i] See Chad Ragsdale’s book Christian Convictions: Discerning the Essential, Important, and Personal Elements
