"The Challenge of Unity and Love"

"In Buchenwald concentration camp, 56,000 people were put to death by a totalitarian regime that saw the Christian faith as a threat to its ideology. One block of cells in the camp was reserved for prisoners who were deemed especially dangerous or notable. Paul Schneider, a Lutheran pastor who was called ‘the preacher of Buchenwald’, was placed in this special block because even from the small window in his cell he loudly proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ – in defiance of the orders of the Gestapo guards.

Otto Neururer, a Catholic priest whose work on behalf of the Jews and other so called ‘undesirables’ had made him a threat to the Nazi warlords, was also put in this block. He too ministered in Jesus’ name to his fellow inmates in the concentration camp until he was crucified upside down.

In Buchenwald these two men, one a Catholic and the other a Protestant, bore witness together to their common Lord – Jesus Christ.

Unity is so powerful. Virtually everybody thinks that unity and love are great ideas. However, in practice, they are extremely difficult to achieve. 

Psalm 68:7-14

The people and the land

In this psalm, the people of God reflect on the exodus, wilderness wanderings, Mount Sinai, the settlement, the conquest of Canaan, and the subjugation of the nations. These were some of the high points of their history, and perhaps one of the few times when the people of God were genuinely united.

This passage is all about recognising where that blessing and unity ultimately came from – God. It is a psalm of thanksgiving and praise to God for all the things he has done for them. It celebrates his leadership (v.7), his power and provision (vv.8–9), his ‘bounty’, his justice (v.10) and his victories (vv.11–14).

God had led the people to the promised land. Yet today, in this very same area, the challenge of love and unity is great. The search for peace in the Middle East remains one of the greatest challenges facing our world.

Lord, thank you for your love for your people. Lord, we want to pray for peace and unity in the war-torn countries of the Middle East. Thank you that you are the source and foundation of unity and love."

1. Unity, indeed is difficult to achieve in practice. Thank You for the hope You give that nothing is impossible for You. Thank You that we can come and seek Your help in this area. 

2. Thank You for the freshest Banh Mi in town.

3. Thank You for the message of Brokenness. I need this, Lord, daily. Thank You. Come, Holy Spirit and work in me.