Imagine what the country probably felt like in 1860, right before the start of the Civil War. Anger. Hatred. Distrust. Cold shouldering. Tension. Hostility. Family members turning away from each other preparing to go to war against each other.
Do I think that a Civil War is about to break out? Not exactly. But I do think that disunity is currently winning and at times it doesn’t even feel like unity is putting up a fight.
If we’re being honest, the last eight months have been crazy. Pandemic, mask, no mask, protest, statues, flags, church in-person, church online, Democrats, Republicans, voter fraud, Supreme Court etc. The list goes on. What do all these things have in common? Satan has attempted to use these topics in this season to divide the body of Christ. Not just Christians though. Anyone that has a heartbeat. The amount of hate I’ve seen on social media from Christian to Christian has been absurd. This is not the desire or heart of Jesus. The word of God calls us in Mark 12:30-31 to
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”
Jesus tells us that there is nothing greater we can do for a brother or sister outside of loving them. This means that when emotions are high we love them. When you realize that you’ve grown apart, we love them. When we disagree with them, we love them. When they attack you, you love them. When we don’t vote the same, we love them. When we support something different, we love them. When we feel betrayed, we love them. When they don’t show love to us, WE LOVE THEM.
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23
Picking up our cross daily, means that we pick up love daily. That’s what it means to have the power of unity in our hands. That we are ready and willing to put ourselves aside for the sake of the gospel. Because we have experienced a love that is unmatched we have no excuse. It changes us. We should willingly pick up our cross. And the days we don’t feel like it, ask God to give us strength. By doing that, we show an unconditional, sacrificial, genuine, grace-filled love that has changed the trajectory of mankind forever.
Because of Jesus, we have the power of unity in our hands.
Followers of Jesus, what the world needs more than ever is to be shown the greatest love that one could ever imagine.
Let’s recommit every day to love.
Levi Yancy 