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Unity Is Not Uniformity

Jun 23

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It’s been striking to watch how the current political climate rewards loyalty to “the party.” Both sides of the aisle suffer from this malady. You can see it clearly in the appointments being made today.


While this isn’t new, it’s become far more prevalent over the past five to ten years.


But here’s the problem: this kind of uniformity is not only unhelpful—it’s unhealthy.


One of the things I’ve long admired about Abraham Lincoln is how he intentionally filled his cabinet with people who had opposed him politically. He understood something essential: the only way to unify a divided nation was through a diversity of thought, not a demand for sameness. Lincoln grasped the vital difference between unity and uniformity.

Uniformity vs. Unity


We often confuse uniformity with unity. But they are not the same.


Uniformity says everyone must think, speak, walk, and act alike. It silences difference, marginalizes dissent, and rewards sameness over substance. When we fall into uniformity, outliers get cast out, and creativity dies.


Uniformity may feel safe, but it eventually decays. Like inbreeding, it leads to defects, organizationally and relationally. Energy gets spent maintaining control and compliance instead of encouraging growth and innovation. Over time, infighting replaces collaboration. Stagnation sets in.


Unity, by contrast, is about shared direction, not identical expression. Unity says, “We’re heading toward the same goal, even if we take different paths to get there.” Like Lincoln’s cabinet, a unified team invites diverse voices for the sake of a common mission. People aren’t threatened by differences—they’re curious. They don’t argue to win; they listen to understand.


Unity allows organizations to adapt, innovate, and grow. But even unity needs boundaries. Without a clear mission, even the healthiest organizations can drift. Mission drift is a real and present danger.

The Beauty of Structured Diversity


On a recent trip to the Sahara, I was struck by the beauty of the dunes. What looks like chaos is actually coherence. Sand moves freely, but only within certain natural boundaries, creating a constantly shifting yet unified landscape.


That’s the picture of healthy unity.


I believe Christianity offers the best model for this kind of structured diversity. When Scripture provides the boundaries, and God’s mission stays central, there is immense freedom to explore, adapt, and grow.


Over the years, my strategies in ministry have evolved. I’ve changed how I approach church and leadership. But my commitment to the life of Jesus and the mission of the Church—to be His presence in the world by developing disciples—hasn’t changed. The “how” may shift. The “what” does not.

The Danger on Both Sides

Church history is full of examples of swinging too far in either direction.


Some churches veer toward legalism, demanding everyone look, think, and act the same. That’s uniformity.


Others embrace freedom so loosely they lose sight of Scripture and drift from their mission. That’s aimless unity.


Jesus and Paul both understood this tension and addressed it directly.


Jesus on Unity


In His final prayer in John 17:11, Jesus prayed:

I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.

He wasn’t calling for sameness. He was praying for purposeful unity. He referenced the Trinity itself, a model of diversity in perfect unity. Even a simple reading of Scripture shows that the Father, Son, and Spirit operate differently, yet in perfect alignment.


Paul on Unity


Paul echoed this in Ephesians 4:1–6:

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

He goes on to describe the Church as a diverse body—many roles, many gifts, but one purpose. Later in the chapter, Paul expands on this variety. Just like Jesus, he’s pointing to unity amidst diversity.


Our Calling

In both these passages, love is the glue.


Not soft sentimentality—but the kind of love that chooses humility over pride, grace over control, and understanding over assumption. Without love, diversity fractures. With love, diversity flourishes in unity.


True unity, biblical unity, requires a kind of love that transcends our cultural defaults and personal preferences.


The Church was meant to be a living example of how unity in diversity works. A witness to the world of a better way to live, lead, and love.


We haven’t always modeled this well.


But we can.


We must.

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