It’s a rule of thumb that two topics should not be talked about over Holiday dinners with the family – politics and religion. But, honestly, the topics are hard to resist. They seem to pull us in. So we go there. And what starts out as a friendly gathering ends in a food fight.

Differences. Divisions over:

 

Climate Change.

The nationality of the President.

Presidential elections.

Syrian refugees.

Black Lives Matter.

Protests on University campuses.

The Confederate Flag.

The Bible and Gays.

Should LSU fire Les Miles (They did not)?

 

Did any of these come up at your family gathering?

 

All of these differences! But there is one thing that can bring us all together: Adele. SNL, in a sketch called “The Thanksgiving Miracle,” showed a politically polarized family who is able to find unity around the table thanks to the magic of “Hello” by Adele – who was the show’s musical guest. Check it out here.

 

Division is not limited to culture. We’ll find division in the church too. Relevant Magazine, in an article on church differences, says this: “Since Christ’s time on this planet, His followers have been arguing about almost everything. We argue about ‘essentials’ and ‘non-essentials’ and even who decides which is which.”

 

Division and disagreements in church?! Yep. Divisions over Scripture?  Yep.

 

Dr. D.A. Carson, one of the most well-known conservative theologians notes that “I speak to those with a high view of Scripture: it is very distressing to contemplate how many differences there are among us as to what Scripture actually says…The fact remains that among those who believe the canonical sixty-books are nothing less than the Word of God written there is a disturbing array of mutually incompatible theological opinions.”

Did you catch that?  “…how many differences there are among us…””…a disturbing array of mutually incompatible theological opinions.”

 

Who’s our Adele? Who or what brings unity out of division? Around what or who do we rally? Who or what is our glue?

 

The Bible says God is light (1 John 1:4) and God is love (1 John 4:8). Light and Love aren’t just what God does.   Light and Love are who God is.

 

Science tells us that almost every element on earth was formed at the heart of a star. Carl Sagan said in the TV series Cosmos, we are all made of “star stuff.” We were made by light and when you get right down to it light is what we are. This is because everything in the universe is made up of atoms, which themselves are made of protons, neutrons, and electrons. A proton is a positive electrical charge (or “light energy”). An electron is a negative electric charge. A neutron is neutral.

 

God is light. We are light. John puts it like this, “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men” (John 1:4). He goes on, “There it was, the true Light coming into the world that illumines every person” (John 1:9).”You are the light of the world” (John 8:12; Matthew 5:14).

 

God is love. I like love. Who doesn’t?
The Beatles know it: “All you need is love.”

John Lennon knows it: “Love is the answer and you know that for sure.”

Even the Captain and Tennille know it: “Love will keep us together.”

 

Light and Love keep us together.

There is a connection – Light.

There is an expression – Love.

 

Galatians 5:6 says that the “only thing that matters is faith working through love.”

The only thing.  The. Only. Thing.

That is how positive energy (light) enters the universe.  Jesus did this to the max.  He was the Light and He used every bit of His energy to demonstrate Love.

Love and Light are our Adele.  They  unite us.  They supersede our differences.

Instead of arguing over this and that, what if we actually did the only thing that matters: love.

“Light” helps me to know I am connected to people – even the ones with whom I disagree. Light is my connection.

“Love” helps me to know how to relate to people – even the ones with whom I disagree.  Love is to be my expression.

“Thank you Adele.  Thank you SNL. Thank you God.”