Unity and Division

 We all know, we can all sense, that something very powerful is in the air. There are obvious outer signs, as in plagues and political turmoil, but the real crisis is spiritual. The sifting process of sheep and goats is well under way. Now, divisions are going to increase and all those who call out for unity, thinking that unity is necessarily a good thing are going to be disappointed. There cannot be unity between good and evil, right and wrong, truth and falsehood, and these things are being separated out. We are experiencing a ratcheting up of spiritual tension, perhaps even the prophesied time when members of the same household will look at each other with incomprehension and deep hostility, when, according to Luke 12:53, "They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” See here, for instance.

Modern forms of spirituality always emphasis unity. And, in many circumstances, unity is undoubtedly a good thing. The attempt to overcome division and reach a point of mutual understanding is right and proper, but only when division is superficial. When, as increasingly now, it is fundamental, you reach a point when to talk of unity is naive foolishness. When too much has to be sacrificed to reach unity, what good is it? We live in a world of darkness in which powerful forces work against God and creation. There cannot be unity in such a world. Unity can and should be reached between such complementary things as man and woman but not between opposites which are mutually exclusive.

However, if division is inevitable we must try to avoid some of the usual consequences of division. Anger and hatred are also increasing now it seems. We must try very hard not to succumb to these because they will turn good to evil. We may be directed towards God in our minds but if our hearts are full of hatred then our true orientation is in the other direction. This is why we are told to love our enemies. Not so much for their sake as for our own. We must not let ourselves be poisoned by our resistance to evil. Recognise it, denounce it, fight it but do not let it into your own heart. I say this because I see the tendency in myself and I know it is wrong. We need Christ to discern truth from lies and we also need him to show us us to respond to the lies.