For God Alone: The Bond of Love
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...