For Unity's Sake, We Must Divide Us, By Rick Warren

Christian pastor and author Rick Warren quotes, "For unity 's sake, we must never let differences divide us. We must stay focused on what matters most—learning to love each other as Christ has loved us, and fulfilling his purposes for each of us and the church.” Thus, as the church we must focus on what unites us rather than what divides us, which is unity, based on Christ’s love. Love is the key component that empowers unity. The Biblical basis for racial unity begins simply with a timeless message of love. The message of love we share is stronger than any conflict, or any adversity. We must seek to overcome racial division and grow in unity. We are all challenged by Jesus’ teachings about loving our neighbor as ourselves. He calls us to …show more content…
In doing so, when we show our love for our neighbor in action, we demonstrate our love for God and that our faith in Christ Jesus is alive. FUMCLV have to be mindful that God has given them a vision and passion to build and bridge relationships of racial reconciliation in their community. They are instrumental to the solution. As Christians, they represent the oneness that the Bible speaks of in the Gospel of John. John 17:20-23 proclaims, 20 “I do not pray for these followers only. I pray for those who will put their trust in Me through the teaching they have heard. 21 May they all be as one, Father, as You are in Me and I am in You. May they belong to Us. Then the world will believe that You sent Me. 22 I gave them the honor You gave Me that they may be one as We are One. 23 I am in them and You are in Me, so they may be one and be made perfect. Then the world may know that You sent Me, and that You love them as You love …show more content…
The symposium will be free and open to the public, and will take place in a neutral location, Lawrenceville Community Center. It will feature a panel of a racially diverse group of scholars gathered to talk authentically about racism, faith, and the church to foster open and honest dialogue. The participates that attend the symposium will have the opportunity to listen to great speakers, get answers to pressing questions during the panel discussions, receive practical equipping on these issues, and discover how the faith community can be a beacon of hope, clarity, and restoration. The exchange will be followed by facilitated small-group discussions that nurtures the awareness of our spiritual oneness to promote unity. The small-group discussions are divided into three sessions focusing on the following topics: 1) Unity in Faith 2) Unity in Peace and 3) Unity in