"And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men had built. And the Lord said, Behold they are ONE people, and they have ONE language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And NOTHING that they propose to do will now be impossible for them" - Genesis 11:5-6
"Cooperation is the thorough conviction that nobody can get there unless everybody gets there" - Virginia Burden, The Process of Intuition
"Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable" - Kenyan Proverb
I found this article interesting and very instructive:
"When you see geese heading south for the winter, flying in their familiar “V” formation, you might be interested in knowing why they fly that way. Science has learned that, as each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately behind it. By flying in a “V” formation, the flock together gains over 70% more flying range than if each bird flew on its own. Like the geese, people who share a common direction and a sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier, because they are traveling on the thrust of one another. Whenever one goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone. It will quickly try to get back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the birds in front. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed the same way we are going. When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing, and another goose takes over the point position. It pays to take turns doing hard jobs! The geese from behind honk constantly, as you’ve no doubt heard whenever a flock passes overhead. They do this to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. An encouraging word goes a long way! Finally, when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshots, and falls out of the formation, two geese follow it down to stay with it and protect it. They stay until the goose is either able to fly again, or dies. They then launch out on their own or with another formation to catch up with the group. If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other" (Author Unknown)
The natural world has a way of illustrating deep spiritual principles - this is seen even in the flying pattern of geese. There IS POWER in UNITY.
God had an intent for humanity following the flood which He stated clearly: "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" (Gen. 9:1, 7). In disobedience to the command and intent of God, the people migrated together to the plain of Shinar and settled there; they then embarked upon a city-building project [the Tower of Babel] which was designed to prevent the population from "being dispersed over the face of the whole earth" (Gen. 11:4b) - this was in open rebellion to the will of God. It is in this context that God's words in Genesis 11:6 (cited above) strike me in a deep and profound way. He says that they are "ONE people", they have "ONE language", and because of this "NOTHING that they propose to do will be impossible for them". WHAT A THOUGHT! Almighty God is conscious and aware of the power of unity both for good and for evil. The sad reality is that those who possess the greatest good - a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ - are content to spend most of our time investing in our individuality. Every day we invest in "MY career"...."MY relationship"....."MY money"....."MY happiness"....."MY ideas"....."MY LIFE!" Many times, we even use the name of Jesus Christ to promote our own selfish agendas - forgetting that we are a part of a spiritual body of faith. While we do this, the kingdom of darkness expands with ever increasing efficiency - squeezing us into its mold.
Jesus prays for us:
“My prayer is not for them (my disciples) alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be ONE, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be ONE as we are ONE — I in them and you in me — so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me" - John 17:20-23
What are you doing today to foster unity with your brothers and sisters in Christ?
Pastor Andrew Smith
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