Ephesians 4:4–6 (NRSV)
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.”
Conflict within the church can leave us disoriented. Whether it’s about theology, culture, leadership, or worship practices, our disagreements can grow loud and heated. We begin to draw lines between “us” and “them,” between those we see as faithful and those we question. In the process, we risk losing clarity about what truly defines our faith.
At such times, we must ask: What is essential to Christianity?
The ancient creeds—the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed—offer a clear, time-tested answer. These confessions, affirmed across centuries and traditions, do not focus on our positions or preferences. They are not centered on what divides us, but on what unites us: who God is and what God has done for us through Jesus Christ.
When the church forgets this center, we begin to confuse secondary matters with the heart of the gospel. Disagreements become litmus tests. We may start to measure others’ faith by their views on non-essential issues, rather than by their trust in Christ and the fruit of the Spirit in their lives.
This is not to say our convictions don’t matter. They do. What we believe about holiness, justice, and faithfulness is important. But as the saying goes, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” This wisdom invites us to hold our beliefs with both courage and humility—to know what matters most, and to stay grounded in love even when we differ.
Unity in the church is not about agreeing on everything. It’s about centering ourselves on Christ. We are united not by uniformity but by our shared confession of one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. We are drawn together not by having the same answers but by belonging to the same God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The church was never meant to be a gathering of like-minded individuals. It was meant to be a community formed by grace, marked by love, and bound together in Christ. When we remember what truly unites us, we can live with difference without division and more fully reflect the beauty of God’s kingdom.
May God, in the midst of many voices and differing opinions, bring us back to Godself, helping us to remember what is most important: God’s love revealed in Jesus Christ, and the call to follow Him together.
Sunny