Common Unity

Today the men of our church went to a college football game between the University of South Florida and Syracuse. I noticed something during that game that caused me to think. Each time our team scored everybody would high five each other, including total strangers. I didn't know the person sitting in front of me, but during a game it doesn't matter, we had common unity! That is true for everything, in order for there to be unity among people there first must be a commonality between them. For many of us today, that commonality was the desire to see our team win, which they did. Within the Christian community Christ is the common factor in which believers gather together to worship, praise and fellowship. But take that commonality away, whether it be among Christians, or people in the world and we no longer have unity. Many years ago after the L.A. riots, Rodney King asked, "can't we all just get along?" And the answer is no, not without some common ground on which to stand. Amos wrote in the book that bears his name, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?". The answer of course is no, they can't. When a couple can't walk together in agreement, then unity can't flourish, and the result will be separation or divorce. When nations can't agree, it often results in war. God puts much emphasis on unity, speaking of the benefits of it in Ps 133:1 "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" When you consider the alternative to not walking in unity, discord, anger and many times hardness, then who would want anything different? I caught a glimpse of the kind of unity that exists in the world today at a football game. If people in the world can come together and find common ground, how much more God's people? It is good and pleasant, and God's blessings await those who choose unity over discord. And that my friends is the reality of it!