Hard Work of True Christian Unity | Shawnee Community Christian Church

Let’s be completely honest for a second: we all love the idea of unity. It sounds beautiful on paper. But when it comes to putting it into practice, our natural human tendency kicks in, and we quickly retreat into our staunchly held beliefs and comfortable echo chambers. We often prefer comfort and conformity over the actual hard work of loving people who think and act differently than we do.

In Romans 15:1-13, the Apostle Paul challenges the early church to move past this exact struggle. He writes that those who are strong should lift up the weary, rather than just pleasing themselves. We are called to build up our neighbors in harmony, welcoming one another just as Christ welcomed us. Paul reminds them that the ancient walls – like the massive divide between Jew and Gentile – are held secondary to the command to love. He closes with a powerful prayer: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul wasn’t writing to a perfect, picturesque community. The Roman church was actively tearing itself apart over cultural practices, dietary restrictions, and traditions. They were using their faith as a hammer to beat each other over the head.

When we look at the church today, it’s easy to see the same patterns. We don’t argue about meat sacrificed to idols, but we find plenty of other divisions. The truth is, the church isn’t a flawless, idealized family – we are much closer to the messy dynamics of The Simpsons. But true spiritual strength comes from relying on God to do what we cannot do alone: practicing a radical, open-handed hospitality. Like the stones in an ancient archway, our differences exert pressure on one another, yet we are infinitely stronger together than we ever could be apart.