I urge you, my brothers and sisters, for the sake of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to agree to live in unity with one another and to put to rest any division that attempts to tear you apart. Be restored as one united body living in perfect harmony. Form a consistent choreography among yourselves, having a common perspective and shared values.
I Corinthians 1: 10 -The Passion Translation
In most cases, a crisis is something that draws humanity together. Consider the terrorist attacks of 9/11 or the many floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters that have occurred in our lifetime, humanity banded together, time and again and got through it. 2020 is different. Almost every major crisis, has driven a wedge between people and groups of people. Family members have been split apart by politics; social classes have been driven further apart by the economy; COVID-19 has created division between those who wear masks and those who do not, and even the church has not been spared. There are schisms between those who believe COVID is real and infectious, and those who feel that their faith will protect them…, and on and on it goes.
Paul writes the first letter to the Corinthian church at a time of great division within the church, pleading with them to be united. Why is unity important? It is important because a united people can do exploits, but a divided people cannot stand (Mark 3:25; Matthew 12:25). The only person who benefits from division is the devil, for he comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10a), and right now he is rubbing his hands with glee because he is having a field day.
America is a bitterly divided nation right now. There is so much that we cannot control or do, but kindness is within our grasp. It is a sign that Jesus Christ lives within us. Today you and I can choose unity, and it is essentially, a personal choice. We can choose to be agents of forgiveness, healing, love, justice, and mercy right where we are. We can choose to be kind to each other, and to serve our neighbor(s). We can choose compassion, over aggravation and by doing so, we will be creating a choreography that commands God’s blessing. May the Lord give us the capacity to see each other as he sees us (Psalm 139:14) so that together we can continue to usher in God’s Kingdom. Have a blessed and united week that glorifies our Lord Jesus Christ and brings healing and joy to everyone we meet because that is what our world needs, urgently.
Dear Father, we have run out of answers, and even the answers we thought we had before are questionable because we are flawed. Lord, we need you desperately. For the sake of one righteous person in our nation, remember mercy. Today, we look to you, visit our land, and grant us your peace. Expose the spirit of deceit that hovers over our nation. Release your people from captivity to the father of lies. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.