Being alone is nice . . . for a little while. Then we need people. If you think about it, even some of the things we do when we are alone give us away. We watch TV, listen to music, surf the net, and do other things that to some degree involve the human touch and aren’t so far removed from actually having people around.
Humans are complementary beings. We are made for others and others are made for us. We’re not complete without each other. Marriages happen because two people have a deep need to be with each other. But then after a while, they desire something in addition to each other so their circle expands and children are produced as a result of their union. The union of two produces a greater union (family). That’s the way it is supposed to work, smaller unions lead to larger ones.
Jesus Christ has always been in the business of bringing people together. He cleansed lepers, healed the sick, raised the dead, and by so doing brought people back to their loved ones and gave them hope where they had none before. He brought a Samaritan woman who had been reduced the status of a social outcast (she was drawing water in the heat of the day when no one else was there), back to her community. He brought twelve rag-tag disciples together. And what He did in life, He did in death. His death brought Jew and Gentile together Paul will say in Ephesians 2. In Colossians 1, His death has reconciled everything on heaven and earth. The apostolic group takes the message of the risen Christ and brings Israel together.
At communion, we take emblems representing the body and blood of Jesus, which were given to bring the world together. If this was His mission, then it must also be ours. How can our body and blood be given for anything less? Our union with Him should produce greater unions.
There’s a wonderful scene in the World War Two movie, The Longest Day. The British troops are getting ready to land at Normandy. Their commander is meeting with them and going over the last minute details of what everyone is to do. After he has finished, he pauses and say these words about the families they’ve left behind: “Remember, our people have had a rough time for four and a half years. They’ve earned the final victory. Let’s go out there and give it to them.”
Don’t you love that? These soldiers are the ones getting ready to risk their lives but there is such oneness and mutuality that all they can speak of is the rough time their loved ones have had and how they’ve earned the victory. That’s the speech of togetherness and it makes God smile.
May our union with Him bring people together.
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 