Reconciling Love

Family unity is fragile. Harsh words spoken in the heat of anger too easily wound and estrange individuals from their families. Unity breaks down temporarily, if not permanently. The Bible records many stories of family members in dispute, from the very serious, as in the stories of Cain and Abel or Jacob and Esau, to the minor skirmishes like those between Mary and Martha. Human differences make unity a challenge to maintain, whether unity of the family, the church, or between nations.
In our current time we have difficulty creating unity. We eagerly judge others rather than attempt to understand behavior. We objectify those who are different from us, easily dismissing them and making them the enemy. Yet, the psalmist makes it clear that God desires unity for the whole human family.
Christians who take the call to unity seriously participate in the ministry of reconciliation of which Paul speaks in Second Corinthians. Working toward unity is no easy task; it requires a learned skill set. Merely desiring reconciliation is not enough. Those who work toward unity must learn how to “listen for understanding, speak the truth in love, use their imagination to picture a better way forward, and be forgiving.”*
How would your life differ if you worked for unity by practicing these four skills? Instead of judging others, what happens inside of you when you listen for understanding? How does this way of listening change your perspective on those whom you encounter? What does speaking the truth in love mean to you? How might you practice it?