The church has long called for Christian unity, which is the key to strengthening the community, allowing it to expand and reach more people.
The world is brimming with diversity, with people coming from different backgrounds, each with distinct stories and individuality. They come in all sizes, shapes, and colors—a showcase of how unique each and every person truly is. However, at its core, humanity is one. It should be one, for it’s in this harmony that life thrives and succeeds. There is beauty in individuality, but mankind is stronger as one.
“No man is an island” is an expression that has surpassed time because it continues to prove its relevance. Time and time again, people have been reminded of its significance. They’re constantly shown that while being alone may provide solace, success is best achieved with a united community.
The Essence of Unity in Faith
In discussions of unity, people get the misconception that to be considered united, they should be reduced to a singular system. They should all adhere to the rules imposed upon them, leaving no room for disagreements or altercations, or else the harmony will be disturbed. This isn’t unity but blind obedience. Unity isn’t diminishing one’s beliefs to comply in fear of punishment or public contempt. Instead, it’s found when people fall under the same conviction.
People don’t become united by agreeing on the same matters. They unite by having the same understanding of the principles of life. In the sense of religion, Christian unity emphasizes spiritual oneness and fellowship among believers, reflecting their deep spiritual connection. It relies on how bound people are through shared faith in Christ and the belief in the Holy Spirit.
It’s built on the foundation of shared purpose and values, grounded in people’s love of Christ.
The Power of Unity in the Body of Christ
As a devoted missionary, author Lauralee Lindholm has both showcased and experienced the power of Christian unity. She’s part of a development team that periodically travels to Ethiopia to help communities improve their systems, driving them to have more powerful and meaningful experiences.
Her book Out of Darkness Into Light details her Ethiopian highlands spiritual journeys, where other than helping them out of scarcity, her team taught the community about Christianity. In her sit-down interview with The Spotlight Network, Lauralee has expounded more about her story.
Transforming Communities Through Christian Unity
Lauralee’s development team went to the Ethiopian highlands to do ministry work. They went to an area where missionaries hadn’t been, and no foreigner had stepped foot in. Nobody spoke English, and everyone lived a very simplistic lifestyle and barely survived. Life there had been entirely different and was very under-civilized. People believed everything could be settled through violence, even discourse about the smallest things.
But things changed when Lauralee Lindholm and her team arrived to teach the community about social structures and, most importantly, religion.
The change they brought turned the Ethiopian community’s lives around. Those who wanted to have a change of heart did so through the help of evangelists and priests. Rounds of confession, where people came clean about all the bad things they’ve done and happened, and everybody within the community experienced something close to a miracle, an intervention made possible through Christian unity.
Lauralee Lindholm’s Out of Darkness into Light perfectly captures the essence of their spiritual journey over the course of their development period. As the title says, the team was exposed to how the community was brought out of the darkness they grew accustomed to. They were at the forefront of a battle between good and evil, of old and new beliefs. But the moment they were led to it, the community found and thrived in the light.
What Unites Christian Is God
If there’s a single lesson embedded in Lauralee’s story, it’s that Christianity unites through God.
Christian unity goes deeper than shallow merriment and getting along with each other. Instead, everyone within the crowd should learn to get along with God. This means harmony isn’t merely a celebration of uniformity. It has never been about becoming one being but rather about distinct individuals commonly reflecting God’s image.
Christian unity emphasizes the need for people to not only agree on the same things and have a singular mind about matters. Instead, it requires people to be one and united in God and mirror His glory. Such a harmony doesn’t exist solely for the world to know of its existence. Christian unity thrives not in fame but in a more profound sense, which encourages Christians to show what God is like.
Getting along in God fills people with the Holy Spirit and allows them to serve as one.
Why is Christian Unity Important?
Unity is essential not only because it allows people to help one another, ensuring nobody gets left behind. Instead, it matters because it’s how good will prevail. Christian unity guides people to protect each other against evil and stand firm in their beliefs and truth. Getting along in God becomes a testimony of His power, proving that all else is possible with Him, even the abolition of hatred and hostility. When Christians hold one another, uplift each other, and are there for everyone else, love becomes powerful enough to overcome everything.
In the end, Christian unity isn’t founded on surface-level agreement. Instead, it connects everyone to God Himself, participating in His divine love and reflecting this love to humanity.
Without a doubt, there is endless possibility when people are united towards a single, meaningful goal. This is shown in Lauralee Lindholm’s spiritual journey of development and evangelism in Ethiopia. If you’re interested in reading what transpired in her journey, grab a copy of her book Out of Darkness Into Light now!
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