Animating Unity
by Jared Johnson
Unanimate
Unanimous
Unicellular
Unicorn
Uniform
Unify
Unilateral
Unique
Unison
Unit
Unite
Unity
Universal
University
Univocal
I went to Webster’s 1886 dictionary to get started on this piece and just perused uni... with a quick glance at entries around “unanimous” for good measure.
Despite my list’s length, each word evokes “oneness” in some way, whether it straight up means one (“unit”) or its meaning is a little looser and metaphorical.
We have been thinking about humble unity this month. I’m confident most of us recognize and have thought of the differences between “united” and “uniform,” that “unanimity” and “unified response” aren’t always synonyms.
At e2, we even use an example from direct, personal history in that vein. Three of our seven staff are or were elders at Indian Creek Christian Church, elders who have operated by consensus and unanimity for about 35 years. I can hear some of you rolling your eyes right now, saying through your screen something like “‘Unanimous’ doesn’t mean we’re actually ‘united.’” That’s fair. When I say “personal, direct example,” I mean that Mike, David and dad can all recall discussions while sitting at an elder table in which a topic would get tabled, unresolved, month after month. After some amount of time passed, parties who were reticent or reluctant would, after a while, say “yes, we can go ahead with ___ and I’m still unsure, but I can trust you and submit to your [plural] decision.”
You might again push back and counter that such an elder team claims they operate by unanimity, “but Jared, some of us just recognize the strongest personality in the room.” Again, it’s fair, but I think we can keep going.
If a strong personality “pushes” through a decision, no, that’s not unity, even if it might be “enforced unanimity.” We all know that’s artificial uniformity, not genuine unity.
But therein lies our double-word's wisdom for this month. Real unity only comes from genuine humility.
I don’t need the last word. I don’t need to be right. I don’t need to be heard. I don’t need to get my way. I don’t need credit. I don’t need to be noticed.
IF all those statements are true, unity with whomever is so much easier to come by. And by “whomever,” yes, I mean my wife, my coworkers, my neighbors, my small group brothers, etc.
Yet again, some of you are thinking “Bah! I know you – all your ‘I don’t need...’ comments are lies!” True. Those statements don't describe me terribly often, but still, if I can genuinely embrace that thinking, real unity becomes possible, rather than begrudging, enforced uniformity. And those on an elder team know each other well enough that they can certainly see in their brothers when they’re operating with an “I don’t need...” attitude, versus when someone’s coming from a full-of-self mindset.
“My way or the highway!”
If that’s someone’s attitude, I do my best to shrug, even if just in my mind, and move on with life. Because, as CS Lewis commented, there truly are just two kinds of people in this world: people who say to God Almighty “Your will be done,” and people to whom God says, “Your will be done.”
When we can, in honest humility, tell God Most High, “Your will be done,” we will be united with Him for eternity.
Now let’s go back to that opening list. You might think my first listed word is a misspelling or just not even a word. Admittedly, I didn’t know it was a word until about 30 minutes ago as I began typing; I’d never read it nor heard another human utter it in 45 years. But I love it.
If you open this link to Webster’s 1886 dictionary (same link as above), “unanimate” is on the left-hand leaf, right column, about 2/3 down. Webster only gave it a single line, saying it was, even in 1886, an obsolete adjective.
Let’s pull on that thread a little bit, though.
Pronunciation isn’t given in Webster’s entry, but I suspect it was “yoo-nan-i-mut.” Maybe it looks to our 21st century eyes like “un-animate,” as-in, “un-draw" or “make not-animated.”
But to my eyes, seeing that –ate ending, I think of –ate verbs. For example (they’re all linked out to Merriam-Webster's site if you want to look them up):
There are plenty of other –ate verbs but you get it.
So what if we “unanimate” (“yoo-nan-i-mate") our interactions with people? In Jesus’s power, by His indwelling Spirit, can you and I “unity-animate” our elders’ meetings, our supper table discussions, and more? Sure we can.
When we don’t need the last word, to be right, to be noticed or heard, etc., we make more room for Jesus between us and He’ll be even stronger glue in our relationship. He’ll “animate unity” between us; yes, “unanimate!” I don’t remember which author wrote it but years ago I remember reading that, especially and at least for Christians, there is no relationship that Jesus doesn’t mediate – He's the means and channel through which we all relate. As a Christian, I have brothers and sisters in Jesus on the opposite side of the world whom I never have nor ever will meet until eternity – He makes us siblings in a way that genetic relationships just pale against. And when I deal with a non-Christian, Jesus still enables me (some days, when I’m attentive to Him) to see that unsaved person through His graciously true eyes as a fellow child of God who’s estranged from their heavenly Father. For a Christian, Jesus is always the one by and through whom we “unanimate.”
Ok I’m done. I poked at it quite enough. And reading through all this again, it’s evident that unanimate is simply inferior to “unify.” Alas.
Last word: The Litany of Humility is a prayer first recorded in print twice around 1870 (no author/source is cited with either printing). We have a full version of it on our site, but to sign off for today, here is its opening line and final stanza.
O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, hear me…
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to want it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to want it.
That in the world’s opinion others may increase and I decrease,
Jesus, grant me the grace to want it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to want it.
That others may be more holy than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to want it.
That others may be preferred before me in everything,
Jesus, grant me the grace to want it.
May it be.
