For God Alone

And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier...

We are one in the bond of love; we are one in the bond of love. We have joined our spirits with the Spirit of God; we are one in the bond of love. Otis Skillings penned these words in 1971, and his simple yet profound poem has been sung thousands of times in Christian communities since, frequently following a service that includes the Lord’s Supper. Some three thousand years earlier, King David penned these words: Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. (Psalm 133) King David was well acquainted with the divisions that can and often do exist within families and tribes. Therefore, he begins this Song of Ascents with: “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unit...