Philippians 2:1-4 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
What does it mean to be like minded in Christ? Paul writes for all Christians to be like minded, but i think that he must be absolutely nuts for such a demand. I mean seriously, who can actually have the same mind as anyone else? Let’s examine our culture a little bit and see if there is any compatibility with this truth.

I have always thought of myself as an independent thinker. This was a very possessive thing for me. As possessive as a child for a new toy or a dog over a piece of meat. My thoughts were MINE. I even went so far as to think that “they” could take everything away from me but “they” could not take my thoughts. At the time, I was 17 and “they” were my parents. The thoughts, that were so precious to me were love for a girl. You could ground me, yell at me, take away my driving privileges, and generally banish me to the center of the earth, but you couldn’t get me to stop loving this girl. My thoughts were mine and no one could strip them from me. This was the one thing in the world that was solely mine, and the one thing in the world that I had complete rights to.

Now expand these observations outward and see a world that demands it’s right to think whatever it pleases. I can eat a hamburger for lunch or insist that animals should not be killed. I can like George Bush, or Hillary Clinton. I can go to church or stay home on Sunday. I can love my neighbor or take them to court. I can watch Martha Stewart or 24. I can be what ever I want to be. Our world, especially our country is a cauldron of separate thoughts and ideas all trying to mix and mingle but mostly just floating around in the pot. Where in our culture do people have the same mind? There are a few places, but they are limited and they are not always pretty. For instance, cults think the same. The military does as well. Sometimes it seems as if all the women in the world are aligned against you as if they have the same mind. But the reality is that same-mindedness is viewed as a disease that must be eradicated from the world.

Paul’s insistence on same-mindedness is something that is meant for the church to experience, and I just want to shout and ask Paul, “Have you been to church lately!?” I have witnessed this truth being abused by pastors and republicans, who say that if you don’t think like them than you are a sinner of the highest degree. As if, being of the same mind was a matter of agreeing with hymns or choruses, 1 or 2 services, immigration, tax cuts, or church audio equipment. I have been to business meetings where it was a sin to voice other ideas about a project or even to have other ideas. The church seems to have no concept of same-mindedness. There are literally hundreds of denominations in America alone because of the absolute necessity to think separately. Some churches even have the word “independent” as part of their name to clue everyone in one on right to think what they want. It seems almost as if the church itself follows this truth less than the world does. The world at least pretends to be tolerant of others and other thought!

So does Paul really mean that Christians should have the same thoughts? Can he be throwing in his lot with the rows of clone-like stale Christians who have been systematically chocking off the life that is naturally found in Christ? Does Paul want us to be “Christ clones”? Does he want everyone to show up exactly 5 minutes before the service wearing the same collared white shirt and ugly tie to leave in time for our Sunday roasts cooking in the oven? What if you aren’t middle class or white? What if you get to church in a Cadillac? Or bum a ride from your friends? How can you be same minded with people who are not the same?

The language Paul uses to describe what we should be together is undeniable. Like minded, having the same love, united in soul, of the same mind, not selfishly ambitions, not conceited, humble in mind, think that others are better than yourself, care about what others care about. These are all of the phrases in this short passage that pretty much scream out disallowing any alternate route around the Truth. Christians are meant to have the same mind. However it seems utterly impossible to actually live this truth out in real life!

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Now it is your turn:

Do you think same mindedness is possible?

Does the world benefit from this teaching?

What would this look like?

Does this even exist?