- Ikenna Paschal Okpaleke
What is unity? What is uniformity?
Is unity uniformity?
And is uniformity the same as unity?
Can there be uniformity without unity?
Could there be unity without uniformity?
Let us take these questions down to something we all are familiar with, and to which we all belong: Family.
Think of a typical family where everything is in order, where there is love, peace, and …unity! Oh unity in the family. In what does this family unity consist?
I could hear someone saying that it consists of family members doing things in common. Oh yeah. That is probably part of the reason for unity. But does doing things in common imply uniformity?
Now, I remember in those days, before individualism even in fashion among kids took the upper hand, kids are meant to wear uniforms. Some still do I guess. My favourite was the sky blue ‘Danchiki’ my dad made for all of us. My sister had the ‘Buba’ style. But the embroidery design were same. Looking at the wears we were wearing uniforms. Yet, I do not see uniformity here. Rather,
I see different sizes because my elder brother was bigger than myself then, and I in turn was bigger than the rest of my siblings.
I see different designs, of course the ‘Danchiki’ was different from ‘Buba’. Well, we couldn’t have forced our sister to wear ‘Danchiki’ when she loved her ‘Buba’.
I see different persons inside the clothes: Tochukwu was different from Nonso, Nonso from Chika, and so on.
I see different preferences, Tochukwu doesn’t like wearing his Danchiki every Sunday, Nonso wants to wear his every day.
Where then is the unity? In doing things in common? Really? Let us see:
In eating together even when we eat different dishes, have different stomach capacities, have different taste buds. Some like more pepper, others a little more salt, yet we sit on the same dinner table.
In having our family time together, each person having a unique perspective to a particular issue on debate. Maureen laughs most, Chioma is the wittiest, Chidimma is the most trendy and Obinna is the one who manufactures the stories.
In putting our heads together in times of difficulties. When Tochukwu had an accident, Nonso was running around with the doctors, Chioma was on her knees praying, Maureen was shopping for bandage, Chika had reassuring words, and Chidimma was crying all day.
What has uniformity got to do with unity?
Why is uniformity often confused with unity?
Looking forward to your answers.
Alongside One Another 
Real food for thought
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Thanks a lot Fr. God bless!
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Fr. Ikenna is at it again. Thought provoking indeed. Expecting uniformity in the pursuit of unity makes unity unattainable. We are beings with different visions.
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Thanks a lot Sr. Chibugo. Much grace! Help us to keep sharing.
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Uniformity is utopic. We should learn to accept our differing opinions and choices and harness them for the common good in order to promote unity and peaceful co -existence.
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This is very Interesting. Thanks Padre. In my own point view,l would say that Unity cannot be achieved unless we discard our old tendency to seek or enforce uniformity. This applies to family units, communities, organisations and the country as a whole. Some may suggest that if we all have the same values, culture and ethnic background there will be no conflict. This may in some cases be true. However, we cannot ignore the reality that in our country we do not all share the same values, we do not follow a single religion and we are descended from various races and ethnic groups. To enjoy peace, prosperity and democracy, we must first acknowledge that we are not all the same. We can then strive to develop unity through mutual respect and tolerance for our differences. One way to achieve unity is through interacting with people of different backgrounds from our own. Through this we can understand and respect each other’s cultures. Gradually, we will begin to understand the joys, hardships and grievances of others.
For me, living in a uniform society would be rather dull. I for one will always choose to live among people of differing social systems, with varying political views and religious affiliations. This sort of environment is exciting, rewarding and enriching.
But changing the way we think, behave and interact with others is not an easy undertaking. It requires a substantive shift in the way we think. It requires us to question ourselves. It requires us to be more aware of our surroundings. It requires us to be brave enough to mingle with unfamiliar groups and explore new areas. So the next time we say the word “unity”, let’s think first whether we really mean it or not. UNITY IS NOT UNIFORMITY.
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Wow! You just took the words out of my mouth! Thank you for that elaboration. It really captures what I was struggling to say in the blog piece. God bless and keep sharing please.
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Uniformity and unity are two different things that ought to work together if properly understood, interpreted and used. When we talk of uniformity we also talk of mutual agreement, believing in each other and understanding each other’s view towards an issue. Take for instance in a class of 20 students where mathematics is mandatory and general for every student, 15 out of 20 find the subject interesting and cannot stay two days without having the teacher around while the rest hate the subject and the teacher as well, if the teacher happenes to have anything that requires the pressence , help or support of the students, the 5 students that find his subject boring will not co-operate with the 15 others and thats where disunity comes in. Unity works with coperation, , love and submission whereas uniformity works with agreement and total acceptance. Uniformity cannot exist in our society today as a result of self interest, selfish desire and lack of trust. Everybody wants to be the head, the most recognised and respected, you want to achieve what others can never achieve, you end up cheating everybody around you just to make a name. Again, there can never be room for unity in a society that lacks unformity, it is only when we learn to love, carry others along, having other people’s interest at heart, responding and reacting positively on issues that concerns each other that we can bring unity into existence.
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Thank you so much dear for that insight. Much grace!
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FR this one is tricky but in my opinon if we all accept our differences and try to make use of everyone’s gifts and talents, without feeling that one is superior to the other, without hate, without jealousy, bitterness and anger, that to me is unity.Using our different gifts in archieving the same goal.
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You are on the right track Shella. God bless!
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There can be unity without uniformity. I want to relate this topic to Christaindom . It is easy to achieve unity but very difficult to achieve uniformity. Take some families where unity reign supreme, there is no uniformity as individual members of the family have individual differences in beliefs, choices, understanding etc. In Christianity, almost all denominations believe in God and his son Jesus but there is no uniformity in doctrines, ways of worship, beliefs etc. There is no unity among so called Christians .The only reason for there peaceful co-existence is because Christ says that we should allow the weeds and the corn to grow side by side until the last day otherwise, some sects may be killing another thinking that they are doing God favour..That is why Ecumenism will Be difficult as some denominations see others as demonic, idol worshippers, fake prophets ritualists. Etc. That is the reason why I very much love that part of the mass.. Onye nwe anyi mee ebere ) If God do not have mercy and overlook error, there will be eternal problem.. Actually, I don’t think there is real unity or uniformity in any area of our present world.
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Thanks a lot Cecelia for the elaboration. God bless!
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Where on earth can we find this unity and uniformity? Is it in the church where members have different motives? Many are there for their selfish interest, fighting over church money
, leadership, etc or in our nation where we see each other as animals and not fellow human beings , Is it in the families where trouble and division sets in immidietly the male members of the family got married.. Is it in our schools where cultism, crime and prostitution is now the oder of the day. Can this unity be seen in the market associations where people are killing one another so as to gain the whole world alone or Between married couples that profess love at the early stage and turn to enemies latter. It is only in the blessed Trinity that we can see real unity and uniformity.
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