Tidbits for Thought

UNITY IN ACTION

Psalm 133:1-2 “How good and pleasant it is when brothers

live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the

head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s

beard, down upon the collar of his robes.”

For over two thousand years the parable of the Good

Samaritan has served as beacon to all who would live for

God and the service that He modeled. A good case could be

made that this parable defines Christian service as perhaps

no other and serves as a stellar example of loving God and

loving others. The Samaritan not only served another; he

actually went out of his way to make the injured man his

neighbor…. not to fulfill an obligation…. not to impress

others…not to rack up points with God but to do what others

would not…. simply care for someone who was in need. He

used his presence, his time and his resources in pursuit of

God’s command to love others as yourself.

Jesus spent His entire earthly life putting into practice what

he taught others about being a neighbor. He saw others as

His neighbor when He fed them physical and spiritual food.

He saw a neighbor when He comforted the grieving and

healed the sick. He protected His neighbors when He looked

evil in the eye and called it out. He made the entire world

His neighbor when He hung on the cross.

There is absolutely nothing that will coalesce a group better

than working toward a tangible and worthy goal. The

fellowship at Gold Canyon church of Christ is already joined

together in our love of the Lord and the desire to worship

Him. If the fellowship committed to mirroring the efforts of

the Samaritan at all levels, the bonds that draw us together

would tighten even more and we could become an active

and powerful force for good to combat evil in the world

around us…. all the while building unity that petty

differences of opinion would not affect.

There is not one instance in history of a great goal or

purpose that has been attained without the unity of the ones

who strived for the completion of that goal. One great

example in our own time is the success of the civil rights

movement of the sixties and seventies in promoting,

attaining and protecting voting rights for all citizens

regardless of race, creed, tradition or culture. This

movement consisted of millions of individuals, each with

their own personality, ideas and gifts. The success came

from a laser focus on a just and honorable cause, with every

individual gift and idea playing a small part in the overall

scheme of events.

Think for a moment of the incredible light that would shine

from our fellowship if each of us committed to build a

community that actively seeks others to be our neighbor. It

would be a brilliant and piercing light that illuminates the

darkness around us and testifies for all to see of the love of

God and the leadership of Jesus! Think about it!        

~ Aron Smith