The Art of Getting Along

Why Unity Is Essential to Our Witness

By Jill Briscoe

Harmony is concord or agreement. Another word for harmony is “peace”–and making peace is often very hard work. For example, it took a few hundred diplomats to work out a peace agreement in May 1983 to end the conflict between Israel and Lebanon that began in 1982. Then it took thousands of soldiers to enforce and maintain the peace. The same principle is true for believers: achieving harmony is hard, but being a peacekeeper once a truce is declared is even harder. It’s a spiritual art.

The testimony of a community of believers often hangs on the ability of its members to live in harmony and to keep the peace once it is made. Paul appeals to leaders and followers alike to be sensitive to the Spirit’s directives and to become ambassadors for unity.

The Spirit’s most difficult work in the church is to promote harmony among its members. The art of “keeping the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace,” in Ephesians 4:3, requires believers who are characterized by humility, persistence, and a passion for the body of Christ. We give God honor when we pursue harmony.

Sadly, other human beings are our biggest obstacles when it comes to practicing the spiritual art of harmony. Sometimes it seems as though the church would be a great place if we could get rid of the people! But how do we do church with people?