“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” (1 Corinthians 1:10)

Most people can understand the idea of a house divided can’t stand, and the truly destructive outcomes that arise when there is dissension amongst the ranks. The idea that leaders can drive a company (or even the military) in different directions leaving the “troops” divided amongst themselves is unfortunately a reality. We see it when the seemingly perfect and charismatic person takes over the situation pulling the tides in their direction leaving the rest of leadership behind. Or when the bureaucratic polices of a company burden themselves so deeply that it opens the door for another voice to rise up asking the important questions of “why are we doing this to ourselves.” But no matter what the cause of the division (right or wrong), the resulting effect is usually not good for the organization. In today’s verse, Paul is letting his readers know that churches are not immune from this type of flaw. And he is pleading with the Corinthians to strongly consider finding common ground to operate on. For Christians, this common ground should be simple – Christ Jesus is the cornerstone on which everything is built. But still, we the church, can allow other worldly concerns to take over and let these non-Christ centered topics drive a wedge between church goers. Paul’s argument here is very simple. Don’t let this happen, and be perfectly united. As we approach another election season my prayer for Christian America is just as simple as this verse. May we all put Christ Jesus first, others second and ourselves last. (A little reminder I get from J.O.Y. bookstore)