Is Religious Harmony Possible in the 21st Century?

by Melony Brown

God’s Word instructs His followers to seek harmony with others. That’s honestly a tall order. Always has been. Always will be. Harmony is not something that comes easily to humans. We argue with those who have different viewpoints than our own. We believe our viewpoint is right. In fact, it’s the only viewpoint to have. In turn, those with opposing viewpoints fight back, insisting their way is right. It becomes a battle that can never be won.

Since humans can’t solve these battles, it behooves us to turn to God’s Word to see what He has to say about harmony within the body of believers. The Message version of 1 Corinthians 14:26 says, “When we worship the right way, God doesn’t stir us up into confusion; he brings us into harmony. This goes for all the churches – no exceptions.” This verse clearly tells believers that God desires for all churches to be in harmony. No exceptions.

So, how do churches get in harmony when they have differing beliefs?

1 Peter 3:8 gives us some good advice: “Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.” If all believers, regardless of denomination, could be sympathetic, compassionate, humble, and love each other, we would experience harmony. When these qualities are shown to believers of differing faiths, the differences become irrelevant.

Another word for harmony is unity, and God has a lot to say about unity among believers. Ephesians 4:3 says, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” This verse alludes to the fact that keeping unity takes effort. Every effort. But the payoff for keeping unity is peace. And most believers desperately want to experience peace in their lives. Psalm 133:1 says, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity.” Focusing on and arguing about the differences in your beliefs will only cause a divide. Instead, concentrating on those beliefs you have in common will foster relationships and strengthen the church as a whole. Two of the beliefs all Christ followers have in common are: Jesus died for our sins, offering us salvation and a desire to worship Him. Build on this foundation.

How is our disunity affecting our ability to draw non-believers to Jesus?

A major concern non-believers express as to why they have no interest in giving their lives to God is because of the manner in which Christians of differing beliefs treat each other. Arguing about our differences doesn’t demonstrate Christ’s love. Jesus prays for his disciples and the believers in John 17:23. In the Message version He says, “May they [believers] be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” When believers experience unity, the world of non-believers will know that Jesus was sent by God and loves them. Our harmony/unity draws non-believers in so they can learn about God’s gift of salvation and His love for them.

So, is it possible for believers in our world today to be harmonious?

Not without God’s help. We have all the tools we need, but we must use them: Jesus modeled the road to harmony throughout his ministry; the Holy Spirit resides in all believers, teaching us how to live; and His Word, if studied and lived out, directs us to harmonious living. Harmony among believers of differing faiths is possible if we seek to follow God’s agenda instead of our own.

Will you follow God’s agenda of all believers to live together in unity?