Lockstep?

My father was a pastor.
My grandfather played and led songs in church for twenty years.
The church was woven into the rhythm of my life, and early on, I noticed something.
Many people believed unity meant everyone had to agree.

But when agreement becomes the expectation, conflict is never far behind.
Expect everyone to think the same way, and tension slowly grows.
Push that expectation long enough, and it erupts into something much heavier.

Arguments turn into divisions.
Divisions turn into battles.
Soon people who once prayed together feel like they are at war.

Scripture never called us to that kind of sameness.

Unity is not uniformity.
Unity is a shared purpose.
Shared love.
Shared devotion.
Even when we see life through different lenses.

Agreement is easy.
Unity is costly.
It asks me to stay with people I do not fully understand.
It asks me to listen before I speak.
It asks me to carry someone’s burden even if I would carry it differently.

I have seen unity in speechless moments that spoke louder than any sermon.

Two people who disagree kneeling in prayer.
Hands lifted side by side, even when life has pulled them in different directions.
Truly loving people who may vote differently than we do.

There are few things more powerful than two people who see the world differently praying and worshiping together.

That is unity.
Not lockstep.
Linked hearts.

If we remember that, we will lay down our weapons and our judgment and take hold of a love strong enough to bridge any divide.

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