Union, But Not Unity

 

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”

—Psalm 133:1

As I was completing high school back in 1965, forces were moving swiftly toward the merger of the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church.

I had grown up in the most conservative conference of the EUB. In fact, this conference was fundamentalist and still reeling in 1965 from the great Christian liberal/conservative conflict of the 1930s.

Not surprisingly, many of the Erie Conference EUB ministers were seriously opposed to merging with the generally much more liberal Methodist Church. Of course, the merger was destined to happen, forming the United Methodist Church.

I remember one pastor telling me, “You know, you can tie the tails of two cats together and throw them over a clothes line. You will have union, but you certainly won’t have unity.”

Frankly, I wish I had pointed this dear brother to Psalm 133:1-3:

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe.

It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.

For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

Let’s live and act in true unity, forged by the Holy Spirit, bonded in God’s love—not like tail-tied cats.

 

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