UNITY, UNITY
Stan Paregien

Jeremiah spoke of certain false prophets in his day who were deceiving the people with their prophecies of coming prosperity. The false prophets blinded the eyes of the Israelites with the words, “Peace, peace!” Jeremiah used four concise words to refute such speculations. The weeping prophet of God said, “There is no peace.”

Centuries have passed since the days of Jeremiah, and with that flight of years certain changes have been wrought.

First, the cry has been altered. The statement being shouted from almost every pulpit in the brotherhood is, “Unity, unity!” It would be almost unthinkable for a preacher to hold a meeting and not speak at least one night on “How The Religious World Can Be United,” or some similar topic. The inference —- usually it is a bold affirmation — is that the preacher and the church to which he belongs have the key to oneness. What the unsuspecting visitor doesn’t realize is that there may be two or three other congregations of the same church in the community, all of which teach the same “plan” for unity —- yet, not one of these congregations will recognize the other as being “faithful.” A short investigation would probably reveal that each of these congregations is engaged in a Cold War against the others. They refuse to call on one another for prayer. They often will not even speak to one another. And, if all else fails, they pelt one another with party labels such as, “Liberals,” “Anti’s,” “Digressives,” etc. There is open division in the body of believers and no one knows it better than the congregations themselves. But, their preachers have the audacity to extend the invitation with words similar to these: “Why not embrace true Christianity by coming out of denominationalism and becoming a member of the church (little “c”) of Christ?” The plea is immediately given a rubber-stamped “Amen” from the “faithful brethren.” Should an individual come forward and be baptized, he finds himself becoming a member — not of a single united group of brethren, but of a warring faction. It doesn’t take long for the new member to find, as Dean Swift once said, that “We have just enough religion to make us hate each other.”

Secondly, the modern cry is no longer a prophecy. It has, according to many, became a reality. Unity is no longer spoken of as something for which we must continually strive. Rather, it has already arrived. Such a careless attitude could only be termed absurd by any person with a passing acquaintance of the present condition of the church. Are we trying to deceive others into believing that we stand completely united, or are we trying to pull the wool over our own eyes? If your body received a serious slash, what would you do? Would you look the other way and try to pretend that your life-giving blood were not ebbing away? Certainly not! Then why do we try to stick our heads in the sand when it comes to the cut and bleeding body of Christ? Our strength, our power, and our influence in the world flows like the mighty Amazon — but, like that great river, our power is untamed, undirected, and useless due to our disunity.

The party spirit is the reef upon which the hopes of the Restoration Movement have been shattered. Now is the time for all Christians to pick up the pieces, to regroup our forces, and to begin practicing what we have been preaching. Only then will we experience the blessings that come when brethren dwell together in unity. — 3524 Anderson S.E., Albuquerque, New Mexico