Holy Disunity: How what separates us can save us by
Layton E. Williams is a call to “let go of the idol of unity and see the
holiness in disunity” as stated by Diana Butler Bass in the foreword. Ms.
Layton, a bisexual ordained Presbyterian minister, who sets out to show how we
are unified in Christ and holy unity is not ours to create or to destroy. She
sets out to argue for holy disunity and how we can faithfully coexist without
being unified with each chapter dedicated to a challenge that we all face such
as fear, doubt and tension and how it divides us and how we can use it in the
Church. Through Biblical text and her own personal struggles and journey, she
presents how we should embrace our differences in our life experiences, our
abilities, our limitations and in our failures, so we can further the message
of salvation through Jesus Christ.
When I picked this book, I was intrigued by the idea of holy
disunity. Ms. Williams makes a very convincing case of how the goal of “peace
on earth” is not our mission. Holy Disunity is a very interesting read
and while I disagreed with a few of Ms. Williams’ assertions, I found myself
agreeing with her main points and thinking about how to use our differences as
we strive to spread the Gospel. Just as Paul states in Romans 12:3-8 and in 1
Corinthians 12:27-31, we are all one part of the a greater whole and each with
different gifts and different roles. At the end of the book, she presents
questions for reflection and discussion. They were thought provoking and allows
the reader to apply the ideas presented in each chapter. I would have liked to
see the questions at the end of each chapter so that the reflections can be
done after reading the designated chapters. Overall, I enjoyed this book and
Ms. Williams is heartfelt and honest in her arguments and examples for holy
disunity. It is a book I will read again in the future. I recommend Holy
Disunity.
Holy Disunity:
How what separates
us can save us
Is available in paperback,
eBook and audiobook
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