I had the occasion to preach on Sunday, and spoke on the subject of unity and how it must be worked out in the intersection of our lives. My reflections were clearly influenced by Renée’s book. I got some positive feedback that night, so I thought I’d share. Here are the questions I asked, as well as my concluding remarks:

1. Will we take off our masks, admit our faults and weaknesses, and live transparently, as works in process and cracked earthen vessels? OR Will we continue to live behind toupees and masks, hiding our true selves?

2. Will we confront one another, in love, and speak the often difficult words that coax the truth into the light, words that cleanse wounds, kill spiritual disease, and initiate the process of healing? OR Will we sit quietly, murmuring to others and announcing ourselves as prophets when a foreseeable disaster occurs?

3. Will we love one another, be present with one another, and give space to one another, space in which we can be broken, in which we can mourn, rage, curse, cry, question, doubt, dream, die, be reborn, renewed, and even resurrected? OR Will we press one another into a mold, forcing them to heal and recover and change according to our standards and timelines?

CLOSING: Unity will not result from chatting about OSU football over brownies and Diet Cokes. It will not result from watching Alias or sharing meals in each other’s homes. It will not result from serving together. It will not result from any of these alone.

The missing ingredient in all these activities – good and important though they are – is an intentional opening up of our lives. You can be with people 24-7, but if you never open up your life, if you never take off the toupee or take a gentle tug at the other person’s toupee; none of that time will matter one bit.

Unity requires intentional effort. Listen again to Paul’s words. (Eph. 4, Phil. 2, and Col 3) These are not passive words, but words of action, actions that will unify and give evidence to the Gospel, actions that will mark God’s community with a set of principles and values that stand in stark contract to the values of the world.