Unity does not equal Uniformity
July 26, 2009
O.K., so I gave away the thesis in my title, but some things bear repeating–unity does not equal uniformity. If this does not compute for you, try thinking of it in reverse, uniformity does not equal unity.
That’s easy enough to see. History is full of examples of repressive regimes that have failed on this point. People who wear uniforms and call each other “comrade” are nearly always ready for revolution. Dissent lurks just below the surface.
Knowing this, I’m constantly amazed at how willing organizations are to attempt unity through uniformity. Companies do it. Nations do it. Churches do it.
We crave unity. Maybe it’s primal–a Garden of Eden thing–like “the two shall become one”. Whatever the reason, it’s a powerful craving. And when we crave something, we tend to devour the closest thing to it we can find, whether or not it’s the real deal. We wolf down the cake instead of the fruit. The chips instead of the steak. The sex instead of the relationship.
We like short cuts. And then we hate ourselves for taking them.
For religious folks, the most seductive short cut of all is–uniformity. It’s the thing we go for when we don’t really know how to “do” unity. We want to “make it happen”. Desperately. So, we put on our Taliban hats and tell people what to wear, what to eat, how to act, how to worship, how to “do” Sabbath, and so on. And what we get is something that looks like unity, but is not.
Because unity is not a material thing; it’s a spiritual thing. Uniformity, on the other hand, is all about form. And form is all about function. And function is all about efficiency. And efficiency is all about getting with the program.
But unity?
Unity is about you and me. Relationships. And we all know that when it comes to relationships, there are no short cuts. As Steven Covey says, “When it comes to relationships, fast is slow and slow is fast.”
To the chagrin of absolutists everywhere, expedience and people just don’t go together.
So, the next time someone invites you into a religious short cut, politely decline. Invite them instead to take a walk with you–the long way around. To take the road less traveled by. Invite them to the place that Rumi speaks of,
“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field, I’ll meet you there.”
And when you get there, may both of you find that you have come, not to a meeting of the minds, but to a meeting of your hearts. Unity.
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to read the rest from this author. Marc is a local writer, musician, and physician. He is a regular contributor to ConneXions and has written reviews for Spectrum: Adventist Forum. He loves words and music, windsurfing, and going on adventures with Janine and the kids.(Read more from this author) 
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You are right Marc. People like to hang out with other people who are like them. Uniformity helps us feel better about ourselves. It subliminally sends that message we desperately want to hear. If your o.k. then I must be too. What we should never forget is that we aren’t o.k. and that Christ’s life, His unselfish heart can be in all of us. This is what can bring us together to experience true holy unity.