“… striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit.” (Ephesians 4:3)
Unity is hard to describe. Expressed in music, it occurs when every note is in harmony. In politics, it comes about through debate and compromise. And expressed mathematically, as in today’s reading, it is expressed in a number: one Lord, one faith, one baptism. This is the unity Paul exhorts the Church to pursue at all costs. And as Christian history shows us, unity is both precious and rare!
Most people want to experience real unity—especially in their families. After all, who enjoys division and rejection? Who likes being separated and isolated from other people? The question is: How do we get there? Today’s reading is a good place to start. “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love,” Paul says (Ephesians 4:2).
So unity requires humility. Understanding that other people are just as important and just as beloved of God as we are is vital. Our fallen nature likes to think of the world revolving around us—but it really doesn’t. The devil also tries to convince us to push to get our own way, or at least to have the last word. But humility seeks to build up other people and to make sure their voices are heard and their concerns are acknowledged.
Paul also urges us to be patient and to bear with each other in love. He knows that unity takes time. It must be cultivated and maintained. Few things bring about unity more powerfully than the decision to sacrifice our own agenda for the good of another.
Finally, Paul gives us the most important key to unity: the Trinity. One Spirit … One Lord … One God. How does their unity look? Jesus obeys the Father. The Holy Spirit speaks the words of Jesus to us. The Father glorifies the Son. Each Person honors the others before himself. If we want an environment of unity, we can start by contributing to an environment of honor. We can look to each other’s needs before our own, reverencing the beauty that God has created in them.
Clearly, it takes work to bring people together. But it’s well worth it—because it’s at the heart of our life in Christ!
“Lord, help us to be one with you and with each other.”
Psalm 24:1-6; Luke 12:54-59