Living in True Unity
By Susan Klein
“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!”
Psalm 133:1
Imagine my delight when I opened my email several years ago to find an adorable photo of two young girls playing on the porch with their dolls! They looked so precious in their summer dresses, feeding their babies like any proud mother would. Now, imagine my surprise when I read the caption below the photo: “Sophia and Kadynn crushing up a beetle and feeding it to their babies.” Yikes! You’re probably asking, “What would make them do this?!!” Well, these two girls were daughters of tribal missionaries in Papua New Guinea. The tribal women there crush up toads, boil them, and feed them to their babies when they are sick. The girls couldn’t find any toads so they used a beetle instead.
I've been thinking about teaching I've heard on walking in unity, and the importance of unity in our church body. Some definitions of unity that from Scripture are: maintaining the same love, being united in spirit and intent on one purpose (Philippians 2). Webster’s Dictionary includes those mentioned above, but adds, “harmony, agreement, a union of related parts.” Interestingly enough, neither source listed, “always agreeing with each other,” or “being conformed to the same customs” in their definitions. Achieving unity with others means loving each other regardless of differences, living in harmony with one another and regarding one another as more important than ourselves.
Those dear missionary families went into the tribes desiring to establish unity with the tribal people, while leading them gently to Christ. They didn’t try to conform them to American standards. They simply shared the love of Christ. In that setting, missionaries show love and respect for tribal customs and traditions, just as the tribal people show them love and respect in return. They are united in a team spirit of building relationships, learning together and worshiping together. They are intent on one purpose: to glorify their Creator. It takes great courage and selflessness to live in unity amidst a culture so vastly different from ours. What a wonderful example they are for our local church to follow!
By the way, if the boiled toad is not soft enough, the mother will chew on it first before giving it to her baby. A custom this missionary mom made sure her girls didn’t follow!
GOING DEEPER:
1. If you’ve ever experienced disunity in a body of believers, you know how much it can hurt! Ask God to show you tangible ways to help build unity in your church.
2. Perhaps you have disunity in your family, or in another relationship. Ask God to show you what is causing it and how/if it can be resolved. Seek guidance from your pastoral staff if necessary.
FURTHER READING:
Philippians 2: 1-11; Ephesians 4: 1-6; Colossians 3: 12-14
Susan is our Tuesday Morning Women’s Bible Study Coordinator and one of its teachers. She is also involved in inner city outreach.
