Mending Sunday: Embracing Differences in a Church Torn by Division

Diversity is God's idea--and unity is how we honor God.

Our heavenly Father calls us to unite, but Christians remain some of the most divided people on the planet. It seems we mistake God's call for unity as a command for uniformity: We split along political and denominational lines and prefer our churches, neighborhoods, and other spaces to be filled with those most "like" ourselves.

Our segregated habits may satisfy our need for comfort, but division breaks God's heart. We are called to embrace the miracle of unity, when what was once separated due to difference comes together--when people from every group, nation, and tongue praise the name of Jesus.

In Mending Sunday, Skot Welch offers a pathway for putting on the mind of Christ when it comes to diversity and division. God's unity doesn't mean giving up our unique identities and the gifts of ethnicity, family, language, or tradition. Rather, when we put Jesus at the center of our lives and communities, we experience a grace and power we've never before known. In a culture bent on division, a church that embraces differences becomes the biggest witness for Christ the world has ever seen.