Since we won’t agree on what’s good, how can we ever be unified?

By Dean Collins

Good, not good…how good?

It’s hard to find agreement on what’s good. I think Breyers butter pecan ice cream is good, but you might disagree and believe Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream is good. We might not be in unity on flavor, but we both think ice cream is good. What’s good and not good seems to come down to individual tastes and preferences. You name it—baseball teams, wine, tea, travel, barbecue sauces, or room temperature—with all those and more, we likely have different opinions on what is good. These preferences hopefully don’t form a basis for dispute or something worse.

God called it good

In Genesis 1, seven times God declared something good. First it was the light in verse 4. In verse 10 it was the dry earth and the seas God said were good. In verse 12 we find God declaring vegetation, plants, and trees with seeds that produce fruit good. In verse 18 it’s the moon and the sun, the stars, and the separation of night and day that is good. In verse 21 it’s the birds and fish that God decided were good. In verse 25 it’s the animals, and finally, in the verses that follow, God creates male and female and considered all of his creation good.

But when we turn the page, we get more details on the creation of man and a declaration that something was not good. God declared it was not good for man to be alone. He created woman to complete his human creation, which in chapter 1 we have already heard is good.

But since the Garden of Eden, man and woman, their families, our communities, churches, government, the nations, and humankind in general have struggled with good and not good. It all started good, but we have been determined to disagree with the Creator on what is good and not good. The results indicate that one of us is wrong.

‘Good and pleasant’

The psalmist chose to align with God. In one of the Psalms of Ascent, the psalmist made it public and reminded all those who traveled to Jerusalem to honor what God prefers. “It is good and pleasant when brothers dwell in unity.” God’s great plan since the beginning was that humankind would be united, not just with each other but also with the maker of Heaven and earth.

If we can’t even agree on what flavor of ice cream is good, it’s no wonder we can’t find a way to end a war, feed the poor, be loving and generous to those of a different skin tone, or figure out how not to destroy the planet we were given to inhabit together. We aren’t so good at being good or living in unity.

We need to discover common ground. The good news is that God has created a way forward. Paul reminds us that even before the earth was formed, God had a plan to bring us to unity. It won’t be possible without the bond and covering of common blood. But the genetics of your immediate family will not be enough to unite us. The gift of unity with each other comes on the basis of the unity we first discover in Jesus.

The gift of unity with each other comes on the basis of the unity we first discover in Jesus.

Our God and Father of the Lord Jesus created a path that we would all become grafted into one family. It doesn’t matter your personal origin story or the great tragedies in your journey. It doesn’t matter how many times the nations of the world have been unsuccessful in getting along or in solving the numerous problems we have with world hunger or health equity. It can all be solved. It will one day all be solved when we choose to follow the plan of God who in his great wisdom and grace chose to send his Son to redeem and unite his creation.

Change the momentum

We can’t force the plan on others, but we can change the momentum. It begins when each of us who has surrendered to Jesus starts practicing the unity Jesus prayed for and died for. John 17 makes clear that unity with each other and unity with the Father are possible. And earlier in John’s Gospel, Jesus said when we who are disciples start loving like Jesus, the whole world will see this reality.

As we approach our Thanksgiving celebration, let’s do it with gratitude that God is good, has declared us good, and has provided a way for us to dwell in his goodness at the foot of the cross. On that basis, we will one day and forever know the full goodness and peace of God.

Your time with God’s Word
Psalm‬ ‭133:1-3‬; ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1:3-10;‬ ‭John‬ ‭17:20-26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Photo by Michelle Tsang on Unsplash

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