Psalm 133:
“1 How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity!
2 It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down on the collar of his robe.
3 It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.”
David wrote songs to be sung by the people as they ascended to the city of Jerusalem. These were called “Songs of Ascent.” The people were required to go to the city three times a year. Millions of people headed into one city. I can only imagine the gridlock of traffic with the people and their stuff. I experienced some traffic jams while in Nashville, and I wasn’t singing. But that is what the people of Israel did.
Just imagine those millions of people, from different regions and parts of the country. Over time, the regions they each lived in would affect their culture. Each group would become different—and yet, they had a shared faith. They believed in God, one god whom they came together to celebrate.
My husband Ray and I went on vacation last week. While we were traveling, we had the opportunity to visit some family and friends. Each of the people we visited believed in God but attended a different denomination than ours. It was great to catch up and to share where we were at in our faith journeys. It struck me that although we have differences in some aspects of our faith, at the core, we believe in one God, one Lord Jesus whose death and resurrection has made a way for us to be saved. And that shared faith brings us into one family!
I challenge you to look for the similarities between you and your brothers and sisters in Christ—not just from our own church, but from The Church. And then we can sing together in unity about our shared faith just as Psalm 133 encourages us to do. We all will experience what verse 3 says, “For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore!”