Unity in Tragedy

Last month the world experienced another epic tragedy. Those who saw the videos of the tsunami in Japan stood in stunned silence as the water washed over houses, businesses, and entire towns destroying everything in its path. Watching houses turn into driftwood, it is easy to look at these tragedies and think what good could come from this. How can we not lose hope after seeing this devastation? If the old saying “There is always a silver lining” is true, what is the silver lining of this disaster that has claimed so many lives. What is the good that can come out of this? Although it is often hard to see there is something good that comes out of these types of tragedies. After a great tragedy there will inevitability be a sense of unity among people. When tragedy strikes people set aside their differences and unite to help out. This is just human nature.

The more that I though about this the more it lead me to wonder, why do we only unite to help out when there is a tragedy. Why don’t we act like this all the time? When you look at this conundrum with the world in mind it is one thing but this is a problem within the church as well. To often the church is a place of disunity. Everyone has their own agenda, ideas, plan and they are not plans of unity but of own self promotion. As the body of Christ we should be the most unified organization on the face of the earth. We should not only unite in the wake of tragedy but we should live in perfect unity. The Bible says this in Philippians 2: 1-4

“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Lets not be like the rest of the world, only uniting in the midst of tragedy but let us always be of one mind and one heart.