I want unity in our restoration fellowship. We are already unified in our theology. Most are unified in our salvation doctrine and the two ordinances of the New Testament. There are however high hurdles to overcome. Each branch of the Restoration Movement has its own culture and points of emphasis. The (church) cultural differences are problematic but not insurmountable.

Facing the Facts
I tend to be an optimist. This does not mean I am necessarily faithful about things. There is a difference between faith and optimism. Romans 4:19 Without weakening in his faith, [Abraham]  faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Abraham faced the facts. He was not blind to the “reality” of the situation. His faith was proved by admitting to the improbability of the situation and then obeying.

If we desire unity among (and within) our churches it is prudent for us to take stock of the difficulties we face. The Independent Christian Churches / Churches of Christ and churches of Christ have a century of bitter debate and intentional division to overcome. The International Churches of Christ (or the movement formerly known as the ICOC) and the mainstream churches of Christ have accused, demeaned, insulted one another and torn one another’s congregations apart. Gossip, slander, hatred and disrespect have marked our interactions. These hurts and the consequence of sinful behavior do not disappear overnight.

Division
The Bible gives us a great example of a parting of ways, a division. Although it was not on the scale of our movements splintering, it shows two very spiritual men disagreeing on method and selection. Acts 15:36-41 gives us insight into division. Paul had an opinion of who was qualified to be on the mission field and Barnabas championed John Mark (who had previously abandoned the mission field).* It was a sharp disagreement. This was heated exchange and should not be sanitized or watered down. They even parted company. Acts does not indicate who was right or wrong. ** 

Overcoming Division
The good news is we can be forgiven. The other good news is we can overcome. 2 Timothy 4:11 and Colossians 4:10 indicate Mark’s eventual return to the ministry of Paul. The rift did not remain forever. Mark seems to have overcome his spiritual challenges and Paul does not keep him (and by extrapolation, Barnabas) in the “doghouse”. We are not given the opportunity to know the mechanics behind the reconciliation, but we do get to see the heart. Repentance, forgiveness and humility mark the relationship. Mark goes on to be the nom de auteur of one of the gospel books.

We do face challenges and hurts from our past and present as a movement. We have and will have sharp disagreements. Let us keep these in mind. Although Barnabas and Paul had a sharp disagreement, it was not about selfish desires; it was about how better to reach the lost. Forgiveness and repentance can go a long way for restoring relationships. Situations change and we should not lock ourselves into a mindset without occasional review. Paul took the time to reassess Mark’s ability (in Paul’s opinion) to serve with him. Let us overcome our challenges with Repentance, forgiveness and humility.

---

*Ironically this disagreement follows the meeting at Jerusalem which was a great milestone for unity in the church.

*The book of Acts does continue to focus on Paul probably because the theme of the book is spread of Christianity from Jerusalem to Rome or Jew to Gentile. Although there was a division between the men, both continued to focus on reaching the lost. They continued to embrace their freedom in Christ to serve others.