What does the Ryder Cup teach us about unity?

It was great to watch the compelling action of the Ryder Cup golf recently. The incredible unity amongst the European team was so clear to the global audience tuning in as they looked to keep hold of the trophy on American soil.

It had gone so well on the first two days of the competition, but the final day was quite a tense affair as the American team put themselves right back in contention. Towards the end of the final session of play the European team secured the victory, leading to much celebration. The sense of togetherness was wonderful and the unity across all the nations of Europe competing as one was clear for all to see.

Such scenes of unity felt in stark contrast to much of what we often see in our world today. We live in an age of division. Our culture is polarised. Everywhere we look there are lines being drawn, politically, ideologically and socially. There is constant pressure on us to pick a side. In the midst of this fracturing world, the church is called to be distinctly different. Jesus himself prayed in John 17 that His followers would “be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (v23). The unity we are called to as the church is not just an excellent idea, but a clear Biblical mandate to the people of God.

The world is hungry for hope, for reconciliation, for a community that transcends the tribalism of the cultural moment we are in. What an opportunity we have in front of us to show what it looks like when people who are vastly different from one another choose to love each other profoundly because of Jesus. Our diversity should not be a weakness that leads to division, but a strength that points to the God who is big enough to hold us all together.

Of course, unity does not mean uniformity, we are not called to think, act, and look the same. The New Testament celebrates a rich diversity of gifts, callings, ethnicities, and perspectives. The early church was a radical mixture of people and we long to be the same today. What holds us together is not a shared culture or identical set of opinions, but a shared Jesus. Our unity must be rooted in Jesus, His life, death, and resurrection. Unity must be grounded in the core truths of the gospel and powered by the Holy Spirit so that we can all walk together as one in Him.

Such living is so counter-cultural to our world, in which disagreement often leads to hostility and even cancellation. If we can live in such contrast to this then the church becomes a profound witness to the world around us. In a society marked by outrage, division and suspicion, we become a community of unity, grace and truth. In a culture obsessed with identity politics, we become a family whose primary identity is found in Christ. In an age of loneliness, we offer community. We are living in a moment in which such unity is desperately needed. The challenges we face are too big for any one church or organisation to tackle alone; we need one another and together we are stronger. This unity should be so noticeable, observable and tangible that those outside of the church would notice it and be drawn towards it. Anyone who sees a united church will be profoundly impacted by it.

Our challenge is different to a weekend golf tournament, but let us rise to it nonetheless in unity, together let us seek to be the answer to Jesus’ prayer in John 17. For the sake of the gospel and the world, may we be one.