United in Heart, Not Always in Mind
/I urge you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say and that there will be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose. (1 Cor 1:10)
That sounds so nice, doesn’t it? Community would be so much easier if we were all united in the same mind. We’d probably have no division if we all agreed with each other, don’t you think? Am I right?
It appears that real people don’t really work that way. Real people think and feel very differently from each other, and that tends to make it harder to agree. Maybe there are times when we can come together with the same purpose, but the same mind? That’s a tall order.
My community echoes this reading in how we call ourselves to be with each other. For instance, we often quote our founder, Blessed Jean Martin Moye, who told us to be like “true sisters.” I don’t know if you have siblings, but if you do, I’m guessing that you, like me, disagree with them from time to time. When my sister and I were kids, our disagreements involved a lot of screaming. We were not often of the same mind, but we were still united in purpose — driving our parents crazy. In the same spirit, my community’s Constitutions say, “The bond of our unity is Jesus Christ calling us to be of one heart and one soul.” That’s lovely and inspiring, but in practice, being of one heart and one soul is a tall order. Thank God it doesn’t tell us to be of the same mind! This may come as a great shock to you who aren’t in religious communities, but even nuns disagree on things. We don’t fight like my blood sister and I did, but we do sometimes think and feel differently from each other. We know we’re called to find ways to disagree without tearing each other down, though. So, even if we think differently, we can be unified because we are close in heart.
It’s not just religious communities who are people of different minds seeking unity, right? Among Christian churches there are plenty of disagreements about doctrine and practice, and when disputes get too big, sometimes churches even split. Even within the same denomination, there are divisions. Speaking as a Catholic, I see discord in my own archdiocese and within institutions and parishes. When Christians, and particularly Church leaders, are publicly duking it out, it’s not a good witness. I also wish we’d stop using divisive political terms like liberal and conservative in church contexts, but it turns out that there are divisions in religious circles, and churches can be political too.
So, what’s the deal? Have we just chosen to ignore this call to unity?
I don’t think we’re ignoring it, but we do need to work harder if we really want unity. When people come together, it’s impossible for us to see things the same way or to think and feel alike, so maybe unity is not really about agreement. Maybe it’s about listening and respect and love. We know the Spirit moves within each of us, and when we share with each other, we each bring a piece of the truth and a bit of the wisdom of the Spirit. We also bring ourselves, with our gifts and limitations. Christianity, within and among denominations, can be a big, wide, tall tent. People who identify as progressive or traditional or liberal or conservative or middle-of-the-road or simply just Christian all have something important to offer and to share with each other. When we listen to each other, we grow and also deepen our community connections.
Ultimately, we’re unified when we care for each other and trust that, although we may have different perspectives, we’re doing the best we can to authentically share the Gospel as we experience and understand it. This is what Paul is saying, too. It’s not about being baptized into the philosophy of one person or another, no matter how wise or virtuous they are. We’re all baptized into Christ, and in our one baptism, we’re called to live the gospel. That’s something we do together, and we do that by our words, actions, and dispositions. When we live this way, we can still be true community, and whole and healthy community, even when we disagree with each other.
That said, as the politics of secular spaces seep into church politics and dynamics more and more, I feel like disagreements among some Christians are shifting away from praxis and doctrine and expression to morality and values. Some Christians are aligning themselves with the most destructive things happening in the United States right now. They’re affirming the ill treatment of immigrants, violence against people of color, warfare, and even the killing of an innocent, unarmed woman, Renee Good. This is deeper than a disagreement and a lack of unity. As I see it, it’s a total departure from the gospel message of Christ, Christ into whom we were all baptized. Christians who align themselves with hatred and violence are not only on the wrong side of history, but they’re disregarding Christ’s call to love and serve. As a person of faith, I’m never going to agree to disagree about these things which fly in the face of everything Jesus taught and lived and called people too. I’m never going to unite with people around that, although I am open to listening to others’ perspectives, because I am genuinely perplexed about how Christians can be okay with violence. Maybe they actually don’t think what I think they do, and I wouldn’t mind discussing my assumptions if we can do so in a respectful way.
I don’t love how Christianity is mixed up in the political fight happening in the United States today. And, even in less charged spaces of disagreement, I feel a longing for unity that I don’t often see. However, I also believe that unifying ourselves is a process, and leaning into that process moves us toward loving each other. We even have a whole Week of Christian Unity in which we pray to be united with each other. It seems we do really need God’s help to do that. Through our striving for unity, we get to know ourselves and each other and find God in both. The ultimate goal is love, and working for unity moves us toward love. Paul’s right – we don’t belong to one or to another ideology or particular leader. We belong to Christ, and because we belong to Christ, we belong to each other. Even when we disagree.
So what’s the call here? I don’t think it’s to conform our thinking. That’s just not possible, and perhaps God made us diverse for a reason, or for lots of reasons. When we listen to each other and honor the Spirit speaking within each person, we may not agree, but we will come to understand each other. When we seek to understand each other, we remember our common purpose, which is to share the gospel. Our diversity is beautiful — and a gift. Our call is love, and in our love we’ll find our unity.
For Reflection:
After reflecting on this reading, what do you make of it? What’s coming up for you?
Have you ever felt a sense of unity, a common connection or purpose, with other people? What was that like, and how did you get there?
What is our common purpose as followers of Christ?
How is God with you in these trying time?
What is God trying to say to you in all of this? Maybe take some quiet time just to listen to what God has to say.
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By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP
Sister Leslie Keener, CDP is the director of God Space, a vibrant spirituality ministry building community in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. A Sister of Divine Providence, she holds a Master’s in Ministry and a Certificate in Spiritual Direction and Retreats from Creighton University. Sister Leslie guides retreats, offers spiritual direction, and nurtures vocations within her community. Passionate about helping people encounter God in everyday life, she delights in meaningful conversations, dancing, and spicy food along the way.