The fall season has arrived. Football games are in abundance — whether high school, college, professional, NFL or CFL. People cheer for their favorite team and hold long prejudices against certain others.
Presidential campaigns stir up people’s ire.
Racial tensions seem to continue to increase in certain parts of our nation.
The gap between the wealthy and the poor seems to widen.
Much divides us as a nation, much divides us within the Body of Christ and much divides us even within the human race.
Yes, there are differences among people: the color of skin, the color of hair, the color of eyes, language, religious beliefs, political positions — the list goes on.
But do those differences mean we must avoid people who are different?
Do they mean we must hate other persons because they are different?
Absolutely not!
It is human nature to want to get rid of or destroy anything different from oneself. Yet, when you read the Bible, you find it calls us to fight against our human tendencies and strive for the ways of God.
I do not believe the divisions we impose on ourselves or others are how God intends for us to live. As I recall, the apostle Paul said it quite well: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)
God created all persons. God calls us to be one in Christ Jesus.
How well do you play your part in striving for unity — even when you disagree with another person?
How well do you look past the differences of another person to recognize that person as a creation of God?
What would happen, do you suppose, if you treated everyone the way you desire to be treated? Jesus put it this way: “Do to others as you desire others to do to you.”
If you want to be loved and respected, you need to treat others with love and respect.
If you want to be treated with kindness, you need to treat others with kindness.
If you want people to be generous with you, you need to be generous with others.
See how it works? You get what you give. (Jesus said something about that, too!)
Look at your own life. Where are you falling short in recognizing and accepting differences with the people around you? Are you willing to let there be unity even in diversity?
Not everyone is the same. We were not created to be, either.
It is time to be filled with courage to accept the possibility of rejection as you reach out to someone. They may have been too hurt to trust you.
But with gentle persistence, you will be a tremendous witness for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The Rev. Mark Broadhead is pastor at Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Let there be unity amid diversity