Excerpt from Psalm 133

"How good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in unity!" 

Reflection by Kenneth L. Samuel

How often do we think of human unity as some utopian dream with no hope of actual realization?  In the current climate of partisan bickering, class warfare and religious rivalry, social unity increasingly appears to be a distant mirage.

Could it be that our dream of unity is unrealized and unrealistic because it is based on assumptions of uniformity?   God must love diversity; that's why She made so much of it.  It is precisely our rich variations of expression and perspective that give our world the wonderful distinctions of color, texture, taste and contrast that keep us listening to and learning from one another.  Variety is indeed the spice of life.
 
Can we recognize difference without labeling the "other" deficient?  Can we be assertive about what we believe without being abrasive toward those who follow a different path?  Do we possess enough of God’s grace to recognize human oneness in the midst of human pluralism? 

How good and pleasant it is when even the starkest differences among us do not prevent us from dwelling together in unity.  Unity of humanity and oneness of creation are still the aims of a vast universe steeped in great diversity.  Uniformity is a vain wish.  Unity is a sacred goal.

Prayer

Dear God, You said that unity among us is good and pleasant.  Now help us to affirm your declaration by our commitment to realizing unity despite dis-uniformity in our communities today.  Amen.   

About the Author Kenneth L. Samuel is Pastor of Victory for the World Church, Stone Mountain, Georgia.

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