Most of us do not value clarity. Many people still watch “news” on TV where CNN will have 17 “experts” opine on a complicated issue for a total of 2 minutes before moving on to the next shiny object. Smart phone usage data shows that humans have a shorter attention span than goldfish, at least when we’re scrolling social media. TLDR (Too Long, Didn’t Read) has become a verb; as in “That blog post Micah wrote was too long so I TLDRed it”.

In this self-absorbed obsession with chasing after the next flashy lure, we have forgotten something: the infinite value of other human beings. As Western Civilization does away with its Judeo-Christian roots, we also do away with the fundamental building blocks of society. Abandoning Biblical principals in our everyday lives, means abandoning the idea that the person we disagree with is created in the image of God.

Non-Biblical systems of worship demand unity over clarity. In the early days of the Christian Church for example, the Roman Empire allowed worship of other gods so long as you also worshipped the Roman Emperor. Unity over clarity. Christ followers could not do this. They believed Jesus was the King of kings and Lord of lords and therefore could not worship an emperor who was less than Jesus. Clarity over unity.

Later, when the Roman Catholic Church had gained unchecked money and power but had lost its Biblical principles they also demanded unity over clarity. When certain monks and priests believed the people should have the Bible in their native language, conflict broke out between those who would have clarity and those who would have unity. Many people were put to death because they believed it was better to die for the clarity of Scripture than to live in the unity of a corrupt church.

We are back in a time when unity is trumpeted above clarity. You can hardly watch a TV show, a commercial, a movie or a political speech without hearing THE NARRATIVE. What THE NARRATIVE lacks in clarity, it makes up for in sheer volume and audacity. If you don’t understand THE NARRATIVE or question it in any way, you are cancelled, outcast and ridiculed. Even if you have been a longtime advocate of last year’s NARRATIVE, you will be chewed up and spit out if doing so will benefit the propagation of the latest iteration of THE NARRATIVE. Logical fallacies in the message abound. Feminism is, presumably a good thing, but defining “woman” is not. See this recent debacle on the Dr Phil show. THE NARRATIVE demands unthinking acquiescence. Don’t think for yourself, just do as your told. Do as your told and you will be a “good citizen”. 

Clarity demands love, humility, and patience. The Christian who seeks clarity over unity may talk with their unvaccinated friend about getting it but will not sever ties over differences in their beliefs about a certain shot. My good friends Kate and Kurt are good examples of this. We disagree over the efficacy of a certain vaccine but because they are following in the footsteps of Jesus, they still love us and have not allowed differences over this one issue to destroy our friendship. Sadly, I know of Christians who have severed ties with other Christians over this issue.

My friends have chosen the path of love, choosing the love of God for their fellow humans, where they could have chosen self-centeredness. They have chosen humility, recognizing that the true standard of truth is firmly in God’s hands, not ours. They have chosen patience with me and my differing opinion.

Sadly, the path most church leaders chose to take during the course of the world’s over reaction to the COVID-19 virus was one of unity over clarity. We were told the loving thing to do was to accommodate other people’s fears by wearing a mask. If a great number of church attendees had an irrational fear of bad luck and the government mandated everyone carry a rabbit’s foot, I wonder if churches would also flock to that banner. If enough mothers were concerned about head lice, would churches make all children shave their heads before being allowed to enter the children’s ministry?

What would have happened if churches had sought clarity over unity? What would have happened if Christians would have taken the time to ask ‘How will forcing everyone to wear masks affect how children develop?’ ‘How will forcing everyone to wear masks affect the mental health of the young and old?’ My grandfather was forced to live in isolation for the last year of his life. We were told this was done for his protection, but all it accomplished was adding misery to the final year of his life.

Seeking clarity is more loving than seeking unity. As Stephen Covey put it, “Seek first to understand, then be understood.” Jesus put it even better, “The truth will set you free.” If I seek clarity, I recognize I am not the ultimate arbiter of truth. I first seek God’s truth, then in the understanding that the human I disagree with is made in the image of the infinite, immortal God, I can seek to understand their point of view, recognizing that both of us are subordinate under God, but equal to each other.