"So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind."
Philippians 2:1–2, ESV
Politics is a part of life and it is one area of life in which we see great divisions form. It has been this way throughout all of human history. We saw the great anger that arose in Cain which led to him taking the life of his brother Abel. The division of brothers, Jacob and Esau. The pursuit of Saul against David. We can find more examples throughout the Old Testament and in the New. Yet, as Paul says, we are called to be different in Christ. Jesus spoke to this when confronted with a disagreement caused when the mother of James and John asked Jesus to give her sons the two top places of honor at the table. This mentality continues today. Yet, as Paul writes to the Church in Philippi, we are called to be in unity "being of the same mind" in our faith. When confronted with so many things we can find differences, not only in the faith but in the world, it is difficult to stand in unity. This is no more prevalent in our country than today. Our nation's politics has divided many congregations and families as the focus has been not so much on understanding or respecting differences, but on finding agreement in all things. When we come together in agreeing in faith, it isn't that we are uniform in our thinking, but united in the hope and the promise presented to us all in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Unity is meant to be centered in the Word of God. As we remember the Reformation and the heritage we hold in our Lutheran Christian faith, the reason for the Reformation was centered on taking a strong stance in the Word and less focus on the tradition. When Luther was called before the leadership of the Church to recant and denounce his writings, he stood firm on the foundation that because he had centered his writing based upon his sound study of Scripture, unless his stances could be shown as being contrary to the Word of God, he could not denounce what he had written. This stance was costly and caused his excommunication from the Church of Rome, which made him a man without protection in the Holy Roman Empire. Luther's life was in jeopardy, but God provided him cover.
Like in the time of the Reformation, we find that many moral issues have been placed before us as political and we are called to stand firm in our faith and what the Word of God teaches on these things, yet we are called love even those with whom we may find disagreement. This is the unity on which we are called to stand. This does not mean we must set aside our convictions, but our convictions must not supersede the grace we receive and give through Jesus Christ our Lord. Sin is in us all and we all need our Lord's forgiveness. Our Lord did not and still does not desire us to be divided in the faith, but to be a people grounded in the Word. At the time of the Early Church, this was grounded in the teachings shared by the Apostles about Jesus Christ and the teachings that point to Him throughout the Old Testament which was the only Bible at the time. Our united stance is meant to be well-grounded within the Word of God and the promises given to us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and that is the faith that we teach and cling to here and proclaim to all who God places before us. Let us not be divided by the politics of the world but stand united as the people of God. Stand firm in our convictions and be prepared to speak the truth in love to everyone God places in our paths. Most importantly, let us trust that the salvation promised to us on the Cross will come to fruition, and for all who trust and believe salvation will be provided through our Lord Jesus Christ. Let that give every one of us great peace.