3 WAYS REVELATION CAN HELP

Karen McNary served in BSF Leadership for over 18 years spanning a time of cultural and political division in the United States.

“I remember thinking that it was strange to be told the same thing by friends in different political parties. They just didn’t understand how someone who disagreed with their politics could possibly be a Christian.” 

But division among Christians is not new, and is not a surprise to God.

“Conflict among God’s people is not isolated to one culture or even one historical era,” says Karen. “Conflict is inevitable. Opinions will differ. But when we are rooted in the gospel, we are united in purpose.”

As Karen surveyed her class, she saw women from different socio-economic backgrounds, ethnicities, political persuasions, and church denominations pursuing Christ with passion and commitment.  

Karen’s BSF class found unity through God’s Word.  

After shepherding such a diverse class of believers, Karen developed a heart for helping Christians discover the gift of unity, even in disagreement.

Today, Karen serves as BSF’s Director of Global Engagement. 

“I have found that people don’t always realize that we can have the same faith and have very different experiences,” she says.

In today’s culture, we may wonder if Christians can disagree and still remain united. For generations, across all countries and cultures, Christians have asked the same question. Is it truly possible to approach complex issues without losing our love for one another?  

Karen believes the answer is yes. She shares three ways Revelation can help.

In Revelation 7:9, we read inspiring verses about a great multitude gathered in worship before Jesus: 

“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.” 

 In John’s vision, “every nation, tribe, people and language” praised the living God together. 

This beautiful picture gives us hope for eternity, but Christ-centered unity can feel distant today. When we struggle, Karen encourages us not to let our God-given differences evolve into manmade division. 

“Nations, tribes, and tongues—those are not divisions to me. Those are just characteristics, like someone being tall or short. We have made them into divisions, but God is the one who created those distinctions. It may be visible that people are different, but Revelation tells us we are not divided in the eyes of Christ. I truly believe God works uniquely within the Church through every time and culture. When division threatens God’s people today and leads to disagreement, we can pray for one another. Through individual prayer for others, even those we disagree with, God softens our hearts and gives us renewed patience.” 

When we ask God to help us guard against division, we can trust that He will work through our differences in His time and in His ways. 

Through Revelation 7:10, Karen challenges us to focus on the One who draws us together:  

“And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’” 

“It’s intentional that the Bible talks about the diversity of the people while they stand before Jesus claiming Him as the one true God. There is a unity in what they are claiming. They are in agreement that all blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, and honor belong to Him. They are 100 percent focused on Jesus.” 

For Karen, this picture is a reminder that the One who unites His people is stronger than anything that drives us apart. When we seek God through His Word, He gives us a complete picture of His character. Through His Word we find wisdom, courage, and hope.

“This picture of God’s people worshipping in unison is a reminder to me to stay in a posture of humility,” she says. “In today’s world, we are often encouraged to assume the worst about those who disagree with us. But there is room for differences of opinion when Christ is our focus. We don’t have to carry the burden of argument or debate. Instead, when we keep our eyes on Him and not others, we can pray, discuss, and enjoy being together.” 

When we look to Christ, we discover that Jesus gives us the wisdom and strength to navigate our differences without division.  

In Revelation 7:9-10, God reveals that He is worthy of our worship. The chapter closes with a beautiful picture of what we will experience in eternity under Christ’s authority: 

“For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water,’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes’” (Revelation 7:17). 

In today’s culture, we are tempted to place our faith in people and human solutions. But leaders come and go, and even Christians can disappoint us. Revelation 7:17 reminds us that the Lamb who chose to die for His people is the same Lamb who rules for eternity. Jesus, who stands worthy of our worship, bends low to wipe away our tears.  

“That is a promise. Even though I don’t know what’s going to happen I can trust that Christ is enough,” Karen says. “Revelation reminds me that when I struggle through disappointment on earth, I can trust God’s promises for the future. With this in mind, we can meet our brothers and sisters in Christ with grace as we trust the Lord to reveal truth in His time.” 

“What God has revealed for the future is enough to give us hope today.”