Unity in the City of God

One of my most beautiful experiences while studying in Jerusalem was spontaneously singing worship songs with people from all over the world gathered in God’s Holy City for their spiritual pilgrimage. As our voices echoed off the walls of the ancient ruins, monuments, and buildings, it was a glorious display of unity through our faith in Christ; even in a city often plagued by war, debates, and attacks.

Though we did not speak the same languages after our widely known songs of worship, we instinctively knew how to communicate our joy for our faith in God as we walked the ancient roads in the Old City of Jerusalem. We shared smiles, as well as moments of gasping as we saw the Mount of Olives for the first time together, and blurbs of excitement and amazement as we beheld several biblical sites such as the places where miracles of healing and deliverance took place as depicted in the Bible.

As I stood in Jerusalem, I began to reflect on how the city brought people together from all nations, despite the conflict that has occurred for centuries. Nevertheless, Jerusalem served as a place of deep reflection for all of us as we shared thoughts with one another about the gloriousness of the city.

Psalm 87:3 (CSB) says, “Glorious things are said about you, city of God. Selah.” Even in the time of the psalmist penning this saying, he referred to the glorious things spoken by people in that period, and it still rings true today. Just as the city brought people together then, it also unifies people now. There are certainly attacks launched toward Jerusalem, yet people of faith still long to be there.

This reminds me of the body of Christ. Unity and a common faith bring us together despite our varied ethnicities, languages, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The psalmist says in Psalm 87:5, “And it will be said of Zion, ‘This one and that one were born in her.’ The Most High himself will establish her.” God established Jerusalem to be a city that unifies believers from all over the world, and that stands true today. Even in conflict, we can reconcile because of the power of God, and we can experience the fellowship that God intended for us.

One of the things I love about working at CBN is that God allows us to minister to over 150 countries and territories around the world. As followers of Christ, we are all called to be ambassadors of reconciliation. God calls us to break down the barriers separating us and build relationships reflecting our Savior's love and grace. By embracing unity, we demonstrate the transformative power of Christ’s love to the world, a love that transcends human divisions and brings healing to wounded souls.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us to embrace Your call for us to unify. Open our hearts to love and respect one another, regardless of our differences. Empower us, Lord, to break down the walls of division and build bridges of reconciliation. May our lives reflect the transformative power of Your love that unifies us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

~

Scripture is quoted from the Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.