I won’t be able to write for the next couple of weeks as we’ll be visiting our friends the Hunters in Namibia with a group of high school students. John and Suzanne Hunter started Community Hope School in Windhoek several years ago. They teach over a hundred children who have suffered loss from the terrible AIDS epidemic that has impacted so much of southern Africa.
Our team has prayed mainly for two things in preparation for this long journey. We’ve prayed for unity and we’ve prayed for the Holy Spirit. One of our young men found a verse that we’ve adopted as a theme: “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Eph 4:3)
As is often the case, God gives us concrete revelation regarding the things He asks us to do. The preceding verse gives simple instructions: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Imagine a group of completely humble and gentle believers… full of love and patience. Will there not be unity and peace in such a group? Of course “bearing with one another in love” insinuates that we’re not always so easy to get along with. I know I need people to extend grace to me… and I must surely extend grace to others.
The next verses state a spiritual reality: there is unity in God. There are no unity struggles in Heaven… even though there is much diversity (read Revelation). Paul writes, “There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to one hope when you were called — one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Eph 4:4-6)
What glorious truth! God has it all together… there is no division in him! Now we are asked to reflect him on earth. So when a group of twenty Christians go in the Name of Jesus to serve others in a different land, we go as one. We’re different individuals with different gifts and different experiences, but we all have the same Savior. Our Lord gave himself on the cross to restore relationship between God and man. The Holy Spirit abides in each believer to help us… and we all need help. As we let the Spirit have his way in our lives, the love of God shines brightly and a Father says, “Look world, this is what you need! My Son is revealed in the way my children walk with one another. Come and be a part of our family!”
“A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35
“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Romans 5:5