The world is full of division. We have been reminded of that with Brexit, Me Too, Black Lives Matter, the Trump presidency, the response to the pandemic, and the war against Ukraine. The church is not immune from these divisions in wider society and has always had plenty of divisions of her own.

The problem stems from the human heart. So convinced are we that right is on our side that we can think the division is justifiable. But the call to truth has to be balanced with the call to unity. The greatest commandment is not to be right but to love.

This involves conversion – a turning around. This can begin with a dramatic one-off event. But as long as we keep following Jesus, we will find ourselves constantly turning around. That is what happens with true disciples – students imitating their master.

Loving one another can only really happen when we let God be right, instead of ourselves. This allows Christians holding opposing views to unite. The church stands to benefit from this but so too does our culture, not least because the church spends most of its time dispersed throughout the world.
 

Do you need to change direction? Have you allowed being ‘right’ to become more important than the call to love (in your family, church, business, or neighbourhood)?

Forgive me, dear Lord, for the times I have failed in my love for others. May I love them as you have loved me. I want you to be glorified in and through all my relationships. In Jesus' name, Amen.

It is often thought that love has no place in the fast-paced and competitive world of business. But see the article ‘How Love Can Be One Of The Biggest Drivers Of Business Success’ by John Hall, published in Forbes in 2020, available here.

Andreas van Wijngaarden, former entrepreneur studying at Covenant Theological Seminary


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