Turn on the news and you’ll see racial tension, political issues, humanitarian crises and overall chaos. Ignorance abounds and misunderstandings are frequent. Our world is marked by underlying divisions that have made their way to the surface.
In an era when you are either praised or condemned for your personal beliefs, how are we to react as Seventh-day Adventists? Are we supposed to turn a blind eye, or should we let our voices be heard? What are Christians expected to do in these times of uncertainty?
Well the answer is quite simple. All we have to do is examine God’s character.
God in all His omnipotence is a unified Being, and He wants us to reflect that unity in our relationships. This was God’s original plan for the world, but
sin caused division among God’s people. As a result, our differences have led to division and contention rather than love and unity. The devil preys on this estrangement, knowing that disunity causes turmoil.
There are many cases in the Bible that show the consequences of dissonance. Lot separated from his uncle Abraham and opted to settle in Sodom, where he faced years of trials, temptation and sinful living. Jacob tricked his brother Esau into trading his birthright and had to abandon the life he knew. The fact that these sequential accounts were taken from the first book of the Bible indicates the significance of their messages. From the beginning, God warned His people to take heed of the lessons these accounts teach.
Ecclesiastes 9:9-10, 12 states: “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.”
It was not God’s design for man to be alone. He created us to be social creatures.
As Christian brothers and sisters, we must encourage each other to keep up the good fight. For we are stronger when standing together. Ellen G. White says in the book Testimonies to Church, “In the case of the church of Christ, we are actively fighting against the devil and his ploys” (p. 1909).
The devil’s goal is to confuse and mislead. He finds joy in division and loves it when we hate others. To rise above this, we must see problems from beyond face value. Only then will we realize that the underlying issue is rooted in sin. When we shift our perspective, we realize that it’s not an us versus them issue, but rather an us versus sin issue.
God does not expect us to walk or talk the same. He chose to instill diversity within His people. God does not discriminate. He loves unconditionally. He does not look at race or creed, He looks at His children. As Christians, we must embrace a culture of Christ—one that emphasizes love, mercy and forgiveness to all who are willing to accept.
Written by Ananda Glover