Introduction
There have been times when I longed to be a “lone ranger” Christian. I tend to be shy, something of a wallflower in groups of people, often feeling awkward and out of place. Introversion defines me. I am energized by spending time on my own and having my best conversations with myself. I am a private person, holding my hopes, dreams, and fears tightly inside. In the past, I found it difficult to be comfortable in church, especially in smaller home or community groups.
Our church emphasizes the need for Christian community and recently has asked Ron and me to start a community group. The first meeting is next week. I’m excited about it. But I also need to preach the gospel to myself, to prepare my heart for this next opportunity to do life with others. In this post, I share a few insights from my meditation.
Psalm 133 (NET)
Look! How good and how pleasant it is
when brothers truly live in unity.
It is like fine oil poured on the head,
which flows down the beard—
Aaron’s beard,
and then flows down his garments.
It is like the dew of Hermon,
which flows down upon the hills of Zion.
Indeed, that is where the Lord has decreed
a blessing will be available—eternal life.
The Psalmist reminds us how good, pleasant, even truly wonderful when brothers and sisters live in unity. We have evidence that it wasn’t easy even in Biblical times. Cain killed his brother, Abel. Jacob swindled Esau out of his blessing with his mother’s help. Joseph’s brothers hated him, selling him to Midianite traders. Even now, we have friends whose holidays are disrupted because their children can’t celebrate together under the same roof. Unity in our extended families takes work.
Christian Unity
Then when we become Christians, our family relationships multiply. Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes in Life Together, “Christian brotherhood is not an ideal which we must realize; it is rather a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participate.”
John, Paul, Peter, and Jesus
John, the beloved Apostle, writes that “if we live in the light, we have fellowship with one other” (1 John 1:7).
Paul writes that the Philippian church could complete his joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind” (Philippians 2:2).
Peter admonishes us in his letter “to love each other deeply, because love covers a multiple of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).
And then of course, Jesus himself prayed for the unity of His people. He says He gave us all the glory that was given by His Father so that we could be, would be one just as He and the Father were one! (John 17:21-23)
Because God has already laid the only foundation of our fellowship, because God has bound us together in one body with other Christians in Jesus Christ, long before we entered into common life with them, we enter into that common life not as demanders but as thankful recipients.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together
Our Christian unity should be more than organizational uniformity, more than the common bond of believing a few of the same truths. Instead, our Christian unity should run deep actively displaying how the gospel changes lives, pointing to the fact that God sent Jesus into the world, and that He loves us as much as He loved His own son!
Similes, Oil and Dew
The Psalmist likens our Christian unity to two word pictures. Notice in the Psalm the phrase repeated three times, obviously for emphasis, “which flows down … then flows down … which flows down.” The flowing down moves the poetry from one point to the next.
Both similes point to abundance, refreshment, joy and well-being.
The oil flowing down Aaron’s beard is precious oil, not just the ubiquitous olive oil. The oil is poured from above, a setting apart by God, just as our unity is given to us, poured out on us by God.
Hermon means devoted or set apart also. The dew on Mt. Hermon was often copious, flowing from the top of the mountain to Zion, covering the whole land.
Unity comes from above. It flows from the relationship of the Father and Son through the power of the Spirit to all those called out, set apart, made holy.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer again – “we belong to one another through and in Jesus Christ. … The physical presence of other Christians is a source of incomparable joy and strength to the believer.”
There’s more … maybe for another post!
A Prayer for Unity in Community
Father, You who knits hearts together in unity
Who models unity even in the Trinity,
And pours out your Spirit so that we can be one,
Begin now to make our hearts ready
Ready to do life with others not out of duty
But out of the love you pour into our lives
Because we belong to one another through
And in Jesus Christ —
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
we pray —
Amen.
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