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Should Be Us3 min read

This month marks the Super Bowl. At the time of this writing the author and the rest of the State of Michigan have high hopes for the Detroit Lions. One of the great mantras of any championship team is teamwork. The team works together. The team wins together. The team loses together. Dissension in the team spells disaster.

What is stock and trade of any championship team should be us, the Church. Unity is paramount for people of the Kingdom. You don’t have to dig too deep into the Scripture to find the importance accent on unity for the people of God. Check out John 13 or 17. Jesus prays for it. Paul writes about it. See 1 Corinthians 1 and 12. Contemplate the very nature of God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

It is no news, but sad news none the less, that the Church and her congregations struggle with maintaining unity. Satan bangs at the doors of our hearts to separate us one from another. Our personal agendas and failings chip away at it.

In the light of whoever is winning—whatever championship in whatever sport— with excellent unity, let’s recommit ourselves as the people of God to unity: in our congregations, in our church body, and in our relationships with the entire Communion of Saints.

You don’t have to think hard or search long to find biblical tools for maintaining and building unity. Here’s a quick list. (You can search out appropriate Bible citations.)

  • Put the best construction on everything.
  • Focus on serving, not being served.
  • Talk to the person not about the person.
  • Seek what’s right, not who’s
  • Walk humbly; eliminate pride.
  • Think in terms of being part of a body, not a Lone Ranger.

Admittedly, the list above took almost no time to construct. I bet you could add another six items without thinking too long. The difficult aspect of unity is not what it takes to live in it, but the living in it.

That’s where being united in purpose, or goal, or the leader comes in. Unity ultimately grows not from personal action but from a shared commitment. Or a shared hope. Or a shared end.

As the Church we have all those things in one thing. It is the confession, faith, hope, promise that Jesus is Lord. Unity is found in the person of Jesus.

  • He, true God and true man, has rescued us from sin, death, and the devil.
  • He wants to seek and to save the lost, and he has invited us to be part of that mission.
  • He is good and works all things together for our good together with the Heavenly Father.
  • He is wise and has revealed His wisdom to us through the Scripture and the power of the Holy Spirit.

The writer of Hebrews sums it up well: “… let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:1–3 NIV).

Books could be written about the attractiveness of sports. Why do people invest so much in something that is ultimately ephemeral? The champion this year is an “also-ran” next year. What is it that is so attractive?

At least part of it is watching the beauty of people working together, in sync, in harmony to do great things that none of the participants could do alone. Indeed, the unity of a team can be a beautiful thing.

It should be us, the Church.

Pray for it.

Photo © gorodenkoff/iStock

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About the Author

Rev. David A. Davis serves as President of the Michigan District, LCMS.

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