Unity is God’s Way

Today’s reading: John 17:20-26

I have found myself in interesting non-debates over the years with fans of Ayn Rand, the author of the famous novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. She is often credited as being the founder of the “philosophy” known as “Objectivism” whose focus is entirely upon “the self.”

Christians tend to have little use for Objectivism’s premises. In The Fountainhead, for example, the hero is a brilliant architect who designs a perfect building that ends up not being built according to his specifications. (Apologies, in advance. I am about to spoil the ending.) The man destroys the building.

Objectivists will say this destruction  is morally excusable because the man carefully designs his explosion to harm no other people or property.

It will be a rare Christian theologian who will say Roark’s action is justified, however.

But, as I say, I end up in “non-debates” with Objectivists.

I, for one, agree that it’s okay for Roark to destroy his building. And I even agree that it’s okay for Roark to think of it has his building.

The Objectivists usually do not appreciate my reason for agreeing, however.

Roark, like all of mankind, is a precious child of God (yes, he is this even as a fictional character). So he, literally, can do no wrong — in the eyes of God.  Therefore, he is certainly justified in destroying his building. Just as all of us are, in the end, justified by God despite any sin.

Notice above that I didn’t say I happen to agree with, or condone, Roark’s destruction. I don’t. That’s where the Objectivist and I differ. But, fortunately,  it’s not relevant.

In the end, what matters is the big picture. And, upon examination, this big picture shows that Roark’s destruction of the building was, ultimately, a good thing.

If The Fountainhead were not a fictional story, I am confident the destruction would have taught many on the construction committee an important lesson about recognizing and respecting genius.  I am equally confident that loss of this fictional building has since inspired many real-life committees to leave their real-life architect’s blessed work to God.

So, in the end, this Christian does find virtue in Objectivism. And Unity does come through after all as the universe’s Golden Rule.

My Objectivist friends (and even a Christian theologian or two) will probably still argue that my reasoning is not quite sound. That’s okay. I simply turn to the  eternal truth of Christ’s words to God in today’s reading: “I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (Verse 26) And it definitely applies to this “non-debate.”

Thanks be to God for glorious unity. May I (and we) always appreciate being one with, well, everything.