Unity and Diversity

Whatever we believe, as we look out on this world (or the cosmos), we observe an incredible diversity, in the animal kingdom, in the plant world, in geology and topography, in the planet and stars. So we wonder if there is a unity to this diversity, on various levels, and on an ultimage level. Greek philosophy focused on this question. Modern science focuses on this question, so that for the final years of his life, Albert Einstein tried to find an ultimate unity theory that would tie everything in science together, which he called a unified field theory. He died before he found that unity theory. Some scientists press on in this quest. Some think they have found it in string theory, but no one has yet come up with a testable experimental prediction, and so string theory remains outside of science for now and only an interesting theory.

However, even if someone found a unified field theory, this would still not be an ultimate unity of everything, it would be limited to science.

When the early Church Fathers met to discuss the nature and doctrine of the Trinity in Nicene, they realized that in the Trinity, a perfect answer existed to the problem of unity and diversity. They did not come up with the Trinity to solve this problem. Instead, they realized that the unity of the One God, with the diversity of the Three Persons of God, meant that unity and diversity eternally existed on the highest order of existence, and was fundamental to the entire creation.

So it makes sense at every level of creation to find various levels of unity and diversity, including a wide range of diversity yet still with unity.

This thinking on unity and diversity helps me in thinking about the Body of Christ, the Church. Some worry about the diversity they see in the Church. I mostly rejoice in it. There is unity in the head of the Church, who is Jesus Christ. Yet there is plenty of room for diversity in various denominations, associations, fellowships, and local churches, reflecting various traditions and flavors of Christianity, as long as orthodoxy is maintained.

The Nicene Creed states a basic orthodoxy, as well as states the highest order of unity and diversity within the Trinity. It does not get lost in some of the more minor doctrinal issues. That is why almost all Christian churches agree on the Nicene Creed, or at least do not dispute it. The Nicene Creed is not the only early church creed almost all Christian Churches agree on, but it the most well known one.

So I hope and pray that while we in the Church do not overlook our differences, we can appreciate them as part of the diversity in the Body unified under our Lord Jesus Christ, the head of the Church.