Meant to Be One

In 1942, the American Consul ordered citi­zens home from the Persian Gulf, for fear they might get caught in the spreading conflict of World War II.

Travel was difficult, and some civilians se­cured passage on the troop ship Mauritania. Pas­sengers included thousands of Allied soldiers, 500 German prisoners of war, and 25 civilian women and children.

The ship traveled slowly and cautiously, constantly in danger from hostile submarines pa­trolling the ocean depths. It was Christmas Eve and they had traveled for a full two months. They had only made it as far as the coastal waters of New Zealand, and everyone on board was home­sick, anxious and frightened.

Someone came up with the idea of asking the captain for permission to sing Christmas carols for the German prisoners, who were surely as homesick and lonely as the passengers. Permission was granted.

A small choral group made its way to the quarters where the unsuspecting prisoners were held. They decided to sing "Silent Night" first, as it was written in Germany by Joseph Mohr and was equally well known by the prisoners.

Within seconds of beginning the carol, a deafening clatter shook the floor. Hundreds of Ger­man soldiers sprang up and crowded the tiny windows in order to better see and hear the cho­ris­ters. Tears streamed unashamedly down their faces. At that moment, everyone on both sides of the wall experienced something that was unusual and unsuspected in that day and time: they experienced unity.

Hope and love broke down the bar­riers be­tween warring nations and, for that moment at least, all were one family. *

WE are meant to be ONE!

It is God’s will that people of all races, nationalities, skin colors, and languages be made one – in Christ!  In fact, it is only IN CHRIST that real unity with God and
man can be experienced.

A large barrier that existed in the 1^st Century was that between Jews and Gentiles.  Yet, observe what the Apostle Paul wrote to Christians in Ephesus:

“For He Himself [Christ] is our peace, who has made the two groups [Jews and Gentiles] one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in His flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death
their hostility.” – Ephesians 2:14-16

This UNITY for which Jesus “PRAYED ” (see John 17:20-23) and “PAID ” with His
LIFE (see 1 Corinthians 1:10-13) is experienced by all those who submit to His will. 
Sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2) and from one another (cf. James 4:1-2),
but Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross so that we might be reconciled to
God and UNITED together in Him (see 2 Corinthians 5:18-21).

God will save THOSE who: place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  He adds the saved to the body of Christ, the church (Acts 2:41, 47; Ephesians 1:22-23) where we are ONE IN CHRIST!

Won’t YOU accept God’s offer of salvation – and unity – through your trusting obedience?

David A. Sargent, Minister