Ties aren’t just underappreciated in American society, they are vilified. That’s why baseball has no limit to its innings, while ties are intrinsic to the more global sport of soccer.

Yet, the tied Supreme Court produced by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia — the 4-4 outcome that is likely to occur when Justice Anthony Kennedy votes with the conservative bloc — is an impasse roughly half the nation apparently is willing to live with for a year or more.

While ties at the Supreme Court breed inaction and continue the status quo, many ties produce discussion and compromise.

In today’s polarized world, there seems to be incentive only for posturing and strife. No political campaign touts its “Great Collaborator.”

Church structures are often designed to rise above such pitfalls by requiring supermajorities for big decisions. Many go far beyond those used in political institutions. As has been seen in some Mennonite Church USA conferences, when a defined threshold isn’t reached — such as whether to leave the denomination — individual congregations decide to leave anyway to avoid more of the same: especially indecision.

Unfortunately, productive discussion and meaningful listening in religious circles is limited more and more to either homogenous or neatly divided parties. Anyone can find a solution when everyone agrees. Debate reigns when one side is “in power.” Creative compromise only seems possible when everyone is committed to staying together. That’s why we sing “Blest Be the Ties That Bind.”

Examples of ties in Scripture aren’t many, but we do have King Solomon’s judgment between two women claiming to be the mother of a child: The one willing to compromise and save the child’s life was obviously the true mother.

Maybe Jesus called his 12 disciples — an even number — from diverse backgrounds because he was OK with ties. He didn’t want unbalanced factions, because he didn’t want factions at all.