For Christians, Unity a Necessity

In everything set an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us...But avoid foolish controversies...and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him.

--Titus 2:7-8, 3:9-10

I am a Christian. and I am a first-year. When I came to Harvard, I, like every other first-year, sought out people who shared my same interests and beliefs. I saw publications and sports, theater groups and a cappella ensembles that cater to every taste and interest. In addition, I was excited to find Hindu, Buddhist and Islamic student organizations among others uniting people of similar heritages and beliefs.

I was disheartened, however, to find almost a dozen different Christian groups. Why is diversity in the Christian community such a bad thing, you may ask? Certainly it is good that the Christian faith has grown so strong at Harvard that there are now many groups to cater to the individual needs of all different believers.

The multiplicity of Christian groups is not, in and of itself, a bad thing. Asians who are first generation believers share unique features in their search for God; Catholic students share a common historic and liturgical tradition; and Evangelicals share a love for practicing spiritual gifts such as prophecy. I think it is an unquestionable good that each group has its needs met.

However, there are two reasons why the current diversity of Christian groups on campus is poorly structured: First and foremost is that Christians are called by God to be unified. Second, if any group desires to inspire and persuade others to join its position, it is impractical and ineffective from any viewpoint to have such division among people with identical foundational beliefs.

With respect to Christian unity, when I first arrived on campus, I visited a half-dozen of the many Christian groups. I asked each group's leader why it had formed a new institution, as opposed to being part of a larger community of fellow believers. All of the leaders said they shared the same fundamental beliefs of the Christian faith: First, that all people have sinned and are therefore separated from the perfection of God. Second, that we cannot ourselves make atonement for our faults. Third, Jesus Christ lived on this earth as both man and God and sacrificed His own life for each of us so that we may meet the demands of justice. And fourth, through a personal relationship with God, people can not only accept the gift of eternal life with God but can also multiply the joys and benefits of this life through a relationship with the maker of the universe.

All of the Christian groups I visited said that they shared these four fundamental beliefs along with the other groups. I asked each of them why they were not associated, or even really in contact, with the other Christian groups despite the clear Biblical directive to be unified within the body of believers. None could give me an adequate answer.

The "body of Christ" at Harvard, instead of being a coordinated group of believers with different gifts and shortcomings working in tandem, is running around like Cousin It from "The Addams Family," lacking coordination, and therefore sending conflicting messages about what the truth of Jesus Christ offers.

It makes sense that whenever any group of people is trying to convince others of its beliefs, the members draw together rather than finding points of division. For example, after the primaries, political parties will lay down the nitty-gritty nuances of policy to draw supporters to their party's fundamental platform as represented by one candidate.

Birds of a feather fly together, unless, apparently, they are Christians. As for myself, I have chosen the group that I believe is doing the most to draw together Christians of different backgrounds and experiences. But there is so much more work to be done to achieve unity. I challenge the leaders of all the Christian groups at Harvard, and offer my own services in this endeavor, to create an infrastructure among the groups.

The existing groups should not all be dissolved; there is legitimate justification for most of the groups' outreach to their specific communities. Rather, they need to create a network to enable Christians to have their specific needs addressed, while still in the larger context of the citywide, nationwide and worldwide Christian community.

As a Christian, I believe that more important than any academic revelation, people need to experience the overwhelming love and peace available free of cost through a relationship with God. To share this good news though, Christian groups need to take a good, long look at their secular counterparts and their own primary directive. If Christians cannot be unified, the persuasiveness of their beliefs will forever be counteracted by their hypocrisy in action.

Benjamin D. Grizzle '03 lives in Thayer Hall.