Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.
Ephesians 4:2-3 NLT
One thing the tortuous Brexit journey has taught us is the damage disunity causes. What started as a simple referendum contained within it the capacity to freeze our constitutional process and unleash a torrent of angry words across the media and our streets. Divisions emerged within families, friends and within our so-called United Kingdom.
Unity is most often an ideal spoken of rather than a choice acted out. Paul tells us that this good begins when I demonstrate patience, refraining from the enforcement of something (such as a right, or obligation) that I feel is due to me.
This means learning to walk out of step with the prevailing march of society. Here I am encouraged to press my own case, often presented as self-esteem. In reality, self-esteem is about self-respect, and not self-promotion. When I am quietly confident and can make allowances and space for others, accepting that their woundedness may drive their behaviour, I maintain the ability to press for unity. When I am stung to fight back, I must be careful this is not wounded pride or raw competition arising from a need to justify or prove my case or myself. Jesus saw no need to justify himself before his accusers (Isaiah 53:3-9), even though they were completely in the wrong. Jesus knew who he was, his mission and purpose, and was able to ensure those forces that aimed at disunity were utterly frustrated in their attempts to continue the chaos of the Fall.
What efforts might you make to tip the scales in favour of unity?
QUESTION
Are you contributing to unity or disunity?
PRAYER
Help me discern your voice among the many that swirl within my head as I seek to walk in the path of unity.
Image-1.234b14995ad54439bb4404295d042302.jpg
