Unity rings hollow when diversity is denied
Commentary by Walter Hesford | FāVS News
“As Cardinals Prepare to Elect a Pope, One Motto is Unity,” read the headline of a recent The New York Times article by Jason Horowitz. According to Horowitz, “unity” was the motto of conservative cardinals who wanted to return the Catholic faith to traditional dogma and traditions, which were challenged by some of the progressive stances of Pope Francis who welcome diversity. The banner of unity was waved in opposition to the banner of diversity.
Meanwhile, in Moscow, progressive groups hosted a conference on May 17 titled “United in Community,” which celebrated diversity. One of the panels of this conference was titled “Addressing Theocracy.” Progressives in Moscow are very concerned that the stated aim of one of our large churches is to establish here a theocracy. It is not likely that members of this church accepted the invitation to be “united in community.”
Judging by a FāVS News May 5 report, their “Uniting the Inland Northwest” event held in Spokane did succeed in bringing together a diverse range of groups and people, perhaps because it focused on specific issues such as homelessness that provided common ground.
In general, though, calls for unity seem ironic. Who gets to do the calling, and for what purpose? My brother, who used to work with churches with strong divisions, noted that if splintering occurred, the group that split often called their new church “united.”
Then consider the United States of America, which at the outset united partly to gain independence from the British, partly to war against the indigenous peoples and occupy their lands and partly to suppress the slaves stolen from Africa. Who benefited from this partial unity?
As a Northerner, my heart warms to the Civil War battle cry, “The Union Forever, Hurrah Boys, Hurrah,” but of course many white Southerners lamented and many seem to still lament this cry.
Now calls for unity come from the radical right, including the authors of the all-too-influential Project 2025 who envision a nation unified by a mythic Christian foundation. Christian nationalism flourishes. “One Nation Under God,” a motto implanted in our Pledge of Allegiance in the 1950s to testify to our opposition to godless communism, has become “One Nation Under Trump.” Oy Vey!
The historic calls for global unity also warm my heart. The post WWII foundation of the United Nations and the adoption of a Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 gave and still give hope. But the partisanship of the powerful prevails, and the declaration is ignored. Calls for global unity, however noble, are both often ironic and pathetic.
As a Lutheran, I often pray for the holy catholic church, “catholic” meaning universal. Divisions among Christian denominations are an embarrassment, since we supposedly worship one Lord. Yet it is also historically true that crusades to spread Christianity as the “one true” faith, to unify the world under the banner of Christ, have resulted in genocides, since such crusades and “manifest destinies” serve as masks for political and economic powers that desire to control and exploit others.
Christianity is not the only world religion that has been oppressive in the name of unity. The same may be said, for example, of Islam and Buddhism. Perhaps any religion that aspires to unify the world under its aegis is bound to be destructive. I know my Baha’i friends believe that their faith will someday unify the world in the future in a positive fashion. This belief does not seem threatening, perhaps because members of this faith are now an often-oppressed minority.
One of my favorite gathering places in Moscow is the One World Café. It makes known its political stance through its rainbow flag and Black Lives Matter sign. It has recently added a sign in support of immigrants. Each month our interfaith Theology on Tap discussion group meets there to share views and concerns. I share the café’s politics and its implied yearning that we could live as if we shared “one world.”
“One blue sky above us, one ocean lapping all our shore,” as Pete Seeger sings in “My Rainbow Race.” Let this be, not through attempts to impose a false unity, but through celebrating a rich variety of ways of being in this world.
The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News. FāVS News values diverse perspectives and thoughtful analysis on matters of faith and spirituality.
Thanks for your commentary, Walter. You sound a very important alarm bell about how “unity” is manipulated by groups and persons who may honestly belief that “unity” and “uniformity” are the very same thing.
50 years ago, my clergy colleague and I were driving in an area west of Tacoma when we came upon a fairly large parking lot with 2 identical small churches sitting side by side. Both cinder-block construction. One had a sign in front: “The Bible Church”. The other building also had a sign: “The Bible Bible Church”. Whatever caused that church split, I wonder how many of the parishioners believed they were now unified after the split.
Paul
In recent online discussions I have put forth the idea that we only can know what we can do, John 7:17. Everything else is faith.
Our mother can tell us not to touch the stove because it is hot and we can accept, by faith, that she is telling the truth or we can touch the stove and know.
Almost everything we think we know is only by faith in those that told us. That includes almost everything we learned in school or church and even at home.
I love testimony because it is faith put to the test and God’s response.
Our arguments are like Job and friends, still the same and no definitive answers. God comes in late and states (my understanding) that they do not know Him, they are not capable of knowing Him, but Job trusts, has faith in Him. And for that, Job is blessed.
That is the same for us. We can experience God and therefore know that He is. But from there we must move forward in faith.
God has touched every soul, John 1:9, and speaks to all, Is 30:21, but not all will listen, John 10:27.
God gives all freedom of choice. We become like that which we admire, study, imitate. Those that admire, study and imitate Christ will become like Him, yet most that say they are followers of Christ don’t know Him (haven’t experienced Him in their lives) and do not do what Jesus did or would do. God is misrepresented to the world and many that may have desired Him are driven away.