Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing.”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, July 27, 2022
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Unity can be confusing. Sometimes I think people define unity as the state in which everyone agrees with everyone else about everything. And I don’t think that’s the case at all. I love the writer of 1 Peter’s language of “unity of spirit,” because it implies that you can have unity in one area without necessarily having to get along perfectly all the time in other areas.
I think unity is more about a total commitment to the flourishing of self and neighbor. Different people may need different things to bring about their flourishing and that’s okay. What matters is that we’re all open to listening to what others need and working toward that end. It includes the sympathy, love for one another, tender heart, and humble mind the author writes about. It includes compassion and grace for those who act out in ways that hurt us—with healthy boundaries, of course, but not retaliating in kind.
Scripture is full of calls for us to be of one mind and one spirit, but rather than as a homogenous monolith, as a beautiful, diverse community of individuals who live to honor the flourishing of everyone.
How do I understand the concept of unity? Do I think everyone has to agree with me?