"Holding Together: Unity"

Photo by Barth Bailey on Unsplash 

The First United Presbyterian Church of Loveland

“Holding Together: Unity”

Rev. Amy Morgan

January 24, 2021

Philippians 2:1-18

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.

 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, 8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross.

 9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

 14 Do all things without murmuring and arguing,

 15 so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world.

 16 It is by your holding fast to the word of life that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

 17 But even if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you--

 18 and in the same way you also must be glad and rejoice with me.

“Without unity, there's no peace, only bitterness and fury. No progress, only exhausting outrage. No nation, only a state of chaos. This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge, and unity is the path forward.”  Wednesday’s Inaugural Address from President Biden reflected his administration’s focus on national unity. The whole event was orchestrated to emphasize this theme, from purple attire to an inclusive slate of speakers and performers.

But, as The National Review’s Rich Lowery observed, “Obviously it’s much easier to talk unity than achieve it.” Critics of the new administration and congressional leadership have been quick to point out all the ways national discord continues to be sown, from the looming impeachment trial to reversals of the previous administration’s policies. 

As our nation transitions to new leadership, some filled with hope-filled elation and others with jaded skepticism or lingering anger and fear, unity, as Biden himself acknowledged, “can sound to some like a foolish fantasy.” Unity has mostly meant the majority or the powerful or the privileged get their way, and everyone else is expected to get on-board. Eric Levitz of New York Magazine wrote that Biden “does not seek the unity of all Americans, only that of ‘enough of us’ to drag the rest toward justice.”

Unity is typically spoken of as this utopian ideal, like “oil running down the beard of Aaron,” as the Psalmist says, but in practice it is something we are pulled into kicking and screaming. Which tends to disrupt most attempts to achieve that ideal in any meaningful sense. 

In his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul doesn’t want to talk about unity. He wants to achieve it. In real, tangible ways, not idealistic ones. He urges the Philippian Christians to “be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” Paul isn’t suggesting that the Philippians all need to share the same ideas, thoughts, and beliefs. This is not a call to intellectual or ideological agreement but unity of attitude, to an orientation of spirit that is unified, regardless of disagreements. 

This unity, being of the same mind or spiritual orientation, is achieved through unity with the mind of Christ. Paul quotes a hymn that depicts what the mind of Christ looks like in poetic but concrete ways. Christ, who was endowed with cosmic power and privilege, did not cling to that sovereignty and strength, but emptied himself into the frailty and humility of humanity, serving at the feet of that humanity to the point of a humiliating and painful death.  “Look to Christ,” Paul says, “if you want to achieve unity.” It isn’t about the powerful dragging everyone else along. Unity can’t tolerate self-interest or vainglory. It requires humility and self-sacrifice. 

Now, Paul was not addressing a church that was experiencing deep divisions or internal conflict. Paul had a long-standing, loving relationship with this community of believers. They had suffered and rejoiced together. They had many friends in common. The Philippian Christians were mature in their faith and generous toward Paul and other evangelists. In the first verse of this text, the phrase that is translated “If then there is any…” more accurately means “since there is.” Since you have been encouraged by Christ, consoled by love, shared in the Spirit, shown compassion and sympathy…this is a church Paul knows to be well on its way toward unity with each other and with Christ.  

But he still asks them to “make his joy complete,” to fill his cup to overflowing. Joy is a consistent theme throughout the letter to the Philippians. Paul begins the letter by sharing that praying for them brings him joy and assures them that they will continue progressing with joy in faith. He calls the Philippian Christians his “joy and crown,” and invites them, toward the end of the letter, to “Rejoice in the Lord always.”

Paul, so far as we can tell, is not addressing a church reeling from terrible divisions. There may be some small squabbles. The church is certainly facing opponents from outside the community. But it’s nothing like the kind of troubles we’re experiencing in our nation and community today. 

My sister, who works in the medical profession and has recently received her second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, called me this week to share some frustrating experiences she’d had with co-workers. One of them insisted that she would not get the COVID-19 vaccine because she was convinced it was the “mark of the beast” from the book of Revelation. Another co-worker showed my sister a video about how the vaccine will alter your genetic code and cause birth defects. 

My sister is convinced, from thorough reviews of all the available medical science, that the COVID-19 vaccines currently being distributed are the most effective, most rapidly developed and rigorously tested vaccines in the history of humankind. They are a remarkable achievement and, if I may say so, a gift from God. But there are plenty of preachers and pundits who will denounce it based on misreading of scripture, misunderstanding of science, or distrust of expertise. 

How can one preacher of the Christian scriptures warn his flock against a vaccine while another urges her congregation to get vaccinated as soon as they are able? How can one pharmacist destroy thousands of doses of a vaccine, motivated by the belief that it will irreversibly and harmfully alter human DNA, and another pharmacist hail it as the safest and most effective vaccine ever created? 

The divisions we face, over something as basic and essential as vaccines during a global pandemic, make unity seem like a foolish fantasy indeed. We’re not talking about different paths to a common goal, philosophical disagreements about the role of government, or the balance of personal liberty and public good. We’re talking about life and death, about the fundamentals of good and evil, about trust and reality and truth. 

But in the midst of this tempest of passionate division, there is a community that gathers to worship and pray, to love and care for one another. It is a sanctuary of sanity, I hope, in a crazy, mixed-up world. Or, as Paul says, “in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation…you shine like stars in the world.” I certainly feel a joy like Paul’s when I think of you all and pray for you all, as I have done fervently through this challenging time. I know many of you have expressed the joy your faith has brought you in these times of fear and tragedy. You know that I brag about you, as Paul did of the Philippian Christians. You are my “joy and crown,” a community of faith that exemplifies all the best things a church can be. 

Yes, we have our minor disagreements from time to time. Folks get their feelings injured, and we must reconcile. Opinions differ, and heated debates take place. 

Back before the pandemic, when the Session met together in the fellowship hall, at the end of each meeting we would hold hands in a circle, and each person would have the opportunity to offer up a prayer. At almost every meeting in my tenure as your pastor, every single person lifted up a heartfelt prayer, naming the encouragement and love they felt, the sense of God’s Spirit uniting us, the compassion and sympathy they felt for those who were suffering. Even over Zoom, the elders of this church continue to pray this way, demonstrating that we are well on our way to unity. 

But now I am asking you to make my joy complete, to overflow my cup. I am no Saint Paul, but I feel the bonds of love and trust between you and I run deep enough that I can encourage you all – and by that I mean us all – to push ourselves to do what may seem impossible right now. The next several months of our life together will not be easy. There will be divisions between those who’ve been able to access the vaccine and those who must wait until greater supply is available. There will be divisions between those who want things to return to “normal” quickly and those who still want to proceed with caution. There will be divisions between those who celebrate the changes in our society that new leadership brings and those who feel it is moving us in the wrong direction. There will be divisions in this body, and they will be fueled and fed by the deep divisions in the world around us. 

And so I urge us to have the same mind that was in Christ Jesus. The phrase that makes Paul’s hymn one of my favorite pieces of scripture is where is says that Christ “emptied himself.” Just as joy is a theme that runs through Philippians, emptiness shows up again and again as well, though it’s more difficult to detect in English translations. In the segment we read today, the word translated as conceit literally means “empty praise.” Near the end of the reading, Paul talks about running or laboring “in vain,” which again literally means emptiness. These words are from the same root as the one used for Christ emptying himself. And Paul also talks about being poured out, another form of self-emptying. 

There’s this ironic wordplay that shows up when we hear the repetition of emptiness. When Paul urges the Philippians to make his joy complete, in Greek it literally means to make his joy full. The only way Paul’s cup of joy can be full is if he empties himself out laboring for his beloved flock, and if they empty themselves out for one another, just as Christ emptied himself out for all of us. 

My joy, which is our joy, I hope, has been filled in so many ways by this church community. The work that Jamie has done as our treasurer, emptying herself out for us to help us be faithful stewards of our finances, has filled our cup of joy. The endless hours Steve and Jeannie have poured into virtual choir and children’s music and singing for those in assisted living facilities has filled our cup of joy. Kay bringing medical equipment and sharing her medical knowledge and checking blood pressures has filled our cup of joy. People emptying themselves out to serve at the Community Kitchen and emptying funds from their bank accounts to contribute to numerous mission projects and emptying their calendars to visit and call and just listen compassionately to each other has filled our cup of joy. The list goes on and on. You all have been emptying yourselves out in so many ways for each other and for this community. 

So now, let’s fill that cup of joy to overflowing. Let’s shine like stars in a world that is steeped in darkness. Let’s not just talk about unity. Let’s achieve it – in our church, our town, and our nation. Not by dragging each other along. But by emptying ourselves out for one another. 

Unity is the path forward. And we are well on our way. But there is more emptying to do before we can be filled. Amen.