Love and Unity

Love and unity. As much hatred as I had for the events of 9/11, they were changed the next day by the response of love and unity by my fellow Americans on 9/12. People made their way to the destruction to look for survivors and try to help the first responders. Others lined up at blood banks to donate blood for the wounded and injured. Politicians no longer cared what party they were from as they stood united on the Capitol steps. American flags flew from every location: house, bridges and any where else a place could be found. 9/12 was a great day in American history. What happened?

That feeling slowly faded over time as people went back to their normal lives and slowly the news stopped covering the event 24/7. People slowly went back to the divide we find our country in today. We are divided by politics, race, gender, sexual orientation and any other grouping you want to add in there. We are no longer just “Americans” we have some hyphenated word before it. The church is not immune from the same division. We divide ourselves up under the names Lutheran, Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist and on and on, not daring to set foot in a church of another denomination. What happened?

This isn’t how the church started. “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” - Acts 2:42-47. Time has caused a division in God’s Holy Church.

We are Christians, “little Christs”, not a division of Christ’s body. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.” - Galatians 3:28-29.

I long for the love and unity in our country on 9/12 to return, but I don’t believe it will happen before the return of Christ. Let us, as Christians, not be the reason for the division we find in the country. Christ gave us a simple command, “And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’” - Luke 10:27.

Have a great day and God bless.