*Originally published to ECC on Saturday, June 20, 2020
Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. — Ps 133:1-3
How wonderful is unity! It is pleasant, v. 1, it is overflowing, v. 2, and it is life giving, v. 3. In the desert place of Israel, the evening dew, such as found on mountains, was an important source of water. Life, eternal life is the summary Psalm 133 gives us for the blessedness of unity. Unity is the reversal of the curse of Babylon. Jesus makes unity happen through his death on the cross. He reconciles us to each other and to God, for eternity. Facing death, Jesus prayed for our unity, Jn 17:20-23. The Holy Spirit, also, unites us, Eph. 4:3. And our Father delights to see us get along together and mourns to see us divided as any father does. A house in peace and harmony is a wonderful place to live!
But we face challenges to our unity. Since mid-March we have been separated because of Covid-19. Zoom and other platforms for communication are not the same as actually getting together in fellowship. The pandemic has put pressure on our lives and impacted our community, causing stress and strain for many. Then on May 25, the death of George Floyd ignited a firestorm of social unrest. As we process what is going on, each has their own understanding and we have our own resources we turn to. It is easy for us to grow apart and become divided in our understanding and response to the challenges of our society. Emotions are strong and misunderstanding is easier than ever. How can we preserve and grow our unity?
- Be a peacemaker, Rm. 12:18, Heb. 12:14. Treasure peace. When we strive for peace, we are doing what Jesus did when He tore down the dividing wall between us and God and us and each other, by dying on the cross. This makes the way for cooperation and reconciliation.
- Listen humbly to one another, Phil. 2:3. Love listens. Love seeks to understand. We can learn from each other and help each other grow together. We can learn some wisdom a wife who told her husband “It’s hard to learn what you think you already know.”
- Yield to one another, 1 Cor. 13:5 and Eph. 5:21. Just as yielding is important in driving, so give way to others who have different ways than us. Only the Bible can conforms our actions and motives. Leave room for others to act according to their conscious before God.
- Give the benefit of the doubt, 1 Cor. 13:7. We do not always communicate well. The meaning of actions is often uncertain. Ask clarification questions. Believe that what motivates each other is love of Christ, love of each other and love of neighbor.
- Build up one another, 1 Thess. 5:11, Eph 4:15-16. Be gracious in speech and action with the motive to help each other grow.
- Pray for one another, James 5:16. We come to care for what/who we pray for.
- These six actions are real, tangible ways we love one another as Christ has called us to, Jn. 13:34-35.
This has all been a learning experience for me. I have been studying to learn so I can know what to think and do. That is where many of us are, in learning mode. Others were ready for action, long ago. So, pray for the humility of all to work together. Keep the unity for: “…divided we fall.”
I encourage all of us to consider further by studying and meditating on Ephesians 4:1-16 and on Philippians 2:1-11.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor MacDonald