One People, One Body

I can always count on people to disagree. We are so good at not agreeing, that we often enter into a conversation expecting some push-back on whatever idea we have. Even people unified behind a cause will disagree on how to best drive that cause forward. Unity is not often part of the human story.

In Genesis 11, we find an account of humanity that was described as one people. This people had one language that unified them to

Bonnie Piovesan

the point that they were like one entity. They agreed with one another and set out to do great things. However they only sought to do what they thought was great, and they all decided to unify behind a building project. I can almost hear the conversation,

“We all agree we are awesome.”
“You are right, we are awesome!”
“To show our awesomeness to ourselves, let’s build a tower so high it reaches Heaven.”
“What a wonderful idea!”

And off they ran to collect bricks and mortar and started building. Talk about unity! If I wanted to build a tower in my town, I would have to convince the city planners, zoning boards, neighbors, the EPA, and don’t even get me started on the tax conversations!

The problem, of course, was that they were united in pride. Their goal was not what was best for the other, for there seemed to be no individuality in this people. They all thought it was good for them to build this tower. For so much oneness, the best idea they could come up with was a tower?  Not better farming practices, not navigating the world and discovering new places, not medical advancement. Nope, a tower: that is the best use of our time. So of course God had to intervene, and He chose to confuse their languages. Their unity was broken, and the people scattered across the globe. Rarely would people be able to unite behind a common goal again. 

What a contrast to the New Testament account of the Body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12. In this account, Paul the Apostle is referring the church and the believers to the many roles in which they can participate out of their love for Jesus. Instead of one mindless people driven by pride carrying bricks up a rampart, we get a picture of one body made up of many parts compelled by something more powerful than pride: love. Each person is unique, and each has the opportunity of sharing who they are with those around them. The Body is united behind the common goal of serving Jesus and one another. The results over the past 2000 years is a scattered people across the globe coming together to build a kingdom. This kingdom is not a tribute to how awesome the people are, but of how wonderful Jesus is and how His message is for everyone.  

Recently, our church spent a morning exploring which direction this local church should take over their next season of serving those around them. It was a room full of differences. Different ages, ideas, priorities, and life stories. By the end of the morning, the people in the room agreed on some direction; the excitement and energy was contagious. It was a beautiful expression of listening to one another; it was the church being the body.  

It seems like all we hear about these days is how divided people are and there seems to be no solution. While the world seeks unity through pride and fails, I encourage you today to try something new: unity out of love. 

In His Name, Bonnie