Unity (noun): a condition of harmony; the quality or state of being made one
Unity is modeled in the world of dog rescue.
So many people are involved in getting a pet from homelessness, on death row, to a loving family. These kind-hearted people set aside their differences and bond together by the mission of the rescue. I compare the world of rescue to the Olympic torch procession. Many people carry the torch in the rescue process – the person saving the dog from the street, the shelter staff, the transport team, the vet, the adoption coordinators, the foster parents.
Each person has the honor to carry the torch for a short period, help the flame grow, and pass it on to the next. Each individual in the procession has to “let it go” (that’s the part that keeps many people from fostering), and everyone stays focused on the true mission – the last leg in the journey where the Olympic torch is lit – where the flame pierces the night sky with such intensity and splendor, you find yourself staring in jaw-dropping awe.
This is the feeling of watching a rescue dog meet his forever family. A condition of harmony, a quality or state of being made one. Unity.
The world is better when we live in unity, a state of togetherness.
Psalm 133 is only three verses in length and encourages a spirit of unity:
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. Psalm 133:1-3
How virtuous and lovely it is when people live together in unity!
The final line of the Psalm indicates that FOR THERE (that place of unity) is where the LORD bestows his blessing. In Unity, we will receive God’s blessing. God will honor the actions of anyone who is trying to create unity. This, after all, aligns with God’s purposes and his dream for his children.
We are better when we work together in a spirit of collaboration, striving for peace and forgiveness. Jesus himself sent people out two by two and encourages us to gather together:
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. Luke 10:1
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20
No doubt, we are better together: Together with Christ, together with other followers, together with the people in our communities and neighborhoods. God created us to be in community with Him and with others – as Jesus affirms by giving us the Great Commandment to love God and love others.
The Story of Captain Charlie Plumb
In 2010, Washington DC, I had the opportunity to hear Captain Charlie Plumb as the keynote speaker at a conference I attended. I will never forget this experience.
Charlie Plumb graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1964. He earned his Navy Wings of Gold in 1966 and went on to fly the F-4 Phantom jet with fighter squadron VF-114. He was assigned to the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Kittyhawk and flew 74 successful combat missions over Vietnam. On his 75th mission, with five days before he was to return home, his plane was shot down by a surface to air missile, resulting in his capture. He spent a total of 2,103 days as a POW in Communist prison camps.
During the nearly six years of captivity, Charlie Plumb was distinguished among his fellow prisoners for his creative methods of underground communication. He also served for two years as the camp chaplain.
For his keynote speech, the stage was dimly lit, with light shining on just a small section in the middle – representing the size of the prison cell he spent so many years in. As he walked the 8-foot-by-8-foot area, he shared his story with the audience.
What has stuck with me all these years…
- Charlie’s faith in God and the connections with his fellow prisoners kept him going, gave him hope to see another day…to hold on until freedom eventually came.
- Charlie emphasized, “Communication with others was more important than the rice they ate or the water they drank. It was an essential part of their survival, to feel connected, to feel understood, to feel loved.”
- His need to be validated, affirmed, and recognized as a human being, was met in the unity with his fellow soldiers. This fueled his desire to stay alive.
Mother Teresa says it like this: “I still think that the greatest suffering is being lonely, feeling unloved, just having no one… That is the worst disease that any human being can ever experience.”
Jesus gives us the remedy to this affliction, this suffering, in the gift of the Great Commandment.
~ Love God and love others ~
In doing so, we keep the despair of loneliness and unworthiness at bay. Not only do we prevent such suffering, but we create Unity!
And over all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Colossians 3:14
Would you pray with me?
All Powerful and Source of Peace, hear my prayer today.
A prayer for unity… for harmony within families and households, neighborhoods and communities, cities and nations. I know this is your dream for us. I surrender to your will. Use me to help bring about unity in my family, my neighborhood, and beyond. Set aside my selfishness and replace it with selfless love. The kind of love you showed me in your son Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:3