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A Weekly Devotional from the
South Green Street Church of Christ

 

   

Coerced Unity
By Steve Higginbotham
March 22, 2006
 

 
I'm sure you've heard the story about the fisherman who went fishing with the Game Warden.  When they arrived at the fisherman's favorite fishing spot, the fisherman lit a stick of dynamite, threw it in the water then ... "BOOM" ... up floated a dozen dead fish.  The Game Warden was shocked and said, "What are you doing?  You can't fish like that!  That's against the law!"  The fisherman simply replied by lighting another stick of dynamite, handing it to the Game Warden and saying, "Are you going to sit here and argue about the law or are you going fishing?"

Well, that story reminds me of some of the things I'm hearing when it comes to the topic of unity.  What some today are describing as "unity" is not unity at all.  Biblical unity cannot be attained by ignoring or disregarding the law and engaging in a common practice.  Rather, biblical unity comes, not from our common practice, but from our common obedience to the word of God.

Friends, peace is pleasant, unity is desirable, and civility is honorable, but the virtue of these concepts has been pushed beyond its limits. Peace is not desirable at any cost. Unity is not to be preferred above truth. And civility should not be so honored that opposition to error is frowned upon"

The serendipity of pursuing and practicing the truth revealed in the Bible is that in so doing, we will also attain unity with God and with his children.

 

Copyright © 2006, South Green Street Church of Christ, Glasgow, Kentucky
Permission is granted to copy these articles.