Feb 03 2010
Live in Unity
Charles Johnson listens to Rivers of the World (ROW) on the radio in San Antonio, Texas, my brother lives in North Carolina, I passed through South Carolina to visit Charles and I am from Memphis, Tenn.
What do all of these Southern states have in common? Across the South, a contentious issue brings people together and splits them apart at the same time. That issue is barbecue! Personally, I believe the blessing of mouth-watering barbecue began in Memphis and spread out from there! While in Texas, a great bunch of Christian folks took me to the Salt Lick Restaurant and fed me more barbecue than any one person should ever eat!
Each region in the United States has its own unique foods and beverages. These may include hushpuppies and sweet tea of the South; lobster and oyster stew of New England; salmon and specialty coffees of the Pacific Northwest or barbecued ribs of the Midwest. Wherever you live, celebrate the diversity of cultures, foods and traditions unique to your region.
As Christians, it is important that we realize that God has created each one of us with very specific gifts and talents. Instead of finding fault with one another, we should celebrate our differences and support each other in the furtherance of the Kingdom. In Psalm 133:1, we read:
“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!”
How often have you heard, or even experienced, people in church getting bent out of shape because they didn’t like the color of the carpet in the sanctuary, because the pastor forgot to greet them one Sunday morning or because the sermon didn’t end right at noon. Accept it, we are all different, yet we are all created in the image of God. Do your very best to live in unity with one another and in so doing you will be demonstrating to a lost world the love of Christ.