Unite To Change The World

How good and pleasant it is 

   when God’s people live together in unity! Psalm 133: 1

Today’s Reading: Psalms 132-134; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

My recent experience of my meditation week and fasting with the Muslim community at USC reiterated the passage above. The more we are able to live together in unity, the better off the world will be.

Some might take issue with my interpretation here. How do we define God’s people? Why am I including Muslim folks here?

Let me clarify.

I believe that ALL people on this earth are God’s people. I believe that God created this world so everything here is of God. Sure not everyone is on the same page. Some people choose to destroy rather than build. Some people would rather take than give. Their choices set them on a different path.

But there are many Christians, Jewish folk, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, atheists, agnostics, and folks of many other traditions that agree on many of the same core principles. The vast majority of us believe in spreading love in the world. We believe that everyone should have a chance to grow and succeed. We believe that we should treat others how we want to be treated and hope that we can reasonably expect that same treatment from others.

I wonder what the world would like if folks would look past their differences and focus instead on what we have in common. I believe that if we did this we would be better equipped to live together in unity. This unity would not equate to conformity to one way of being; but rather would celebrate what we have in common in order to promote love and respect for everyone.

This may sound like the brainchild of a utopian dreamer but I’m ok with that. My life is the product of the dreams of the generations that came before me. I would rather dream than continue to live a nightmare.

And I do believe that the division and conflict among us these days is akin to a nightmare.

I may not be able to change the hearts and minds of the billions of folks on this globe but I can present a challenge to you that I have taken on for myself. What can you do tomorrow to make the world a better place? Who can you reach out to? Who in your life shares some of the same core beliefs that you have? Perhaps you can work together with that person to change your sphere of influence.

If enough of us work to change the world around us then the whole world will change.

Do your part and trust God to do the rest.