I was baptized in the Moravian Church when I was an infant. For those who are unfamiliar, the Moravian Church is one of the world’s oldest Protestant denominations, pre-dating the Reformation by at least a century. The church’s motto is “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, love.” It is a good code by which to live, emphasizing the importance of joining hands when the stakes are high, agreeing to live and let live when the stakes are low, and treating everyone kindly at all times.
Similar sentiments are often deployed when differences of opinion, political or otherwise, begin to wander down the path of acrimony. We encourage others to “choose civility,” or we say “united we stand, divided we fall.” These exhortations are usually well-intentioned and prudent, given that when debates become disrespectful, trenches grow deeper and enmity intensifies.
Admonitions against incivility and division can be useful interruptions to discourse that is doing more harm than good. But sometimes, they are weaponized by people who wish to silence others who might otherwise disrupt the status quo. As an example, folks who wish to promote racial justice and equity goals are often labeled “divisive.” This label is effective because social comfort and order require unity, and no one wants to be seen as promoting chaos and conflict. Or, when someone introduces an innovative idea that others find uncomfortable or threatening, they are accused of “sowing division in the community.”
These are not examples of good-faith course-corrections to keep us from descending into civil war. These are power plays to impede change.
It is honorable to want to promote unity, to want to find common ground with others in order to reach mutually satisfying resolutions to conflict and to move forward toward shared goals. At the same time, division is to be expected among free human beings; we do not all share the same thoughts, feelings, or opinions. Progress is born out of division, as new and different ideas take root and hearts and minds change over time.
Encouraging unity that brings people together as they effect change is in the spirit of the Moravian motto. Insisting on unity at the expense of the less powerful in order to thwart change is not. May we all choose progress over power.
Vicit agnus noster, eum sequamur.