“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3)

Consider a family where there are six people who share the same last name—say a father, mother and four children.

The six of them already have a unity that comes from being part of the same clan. Their bloodlines, genes, history have already created a unity that is indisputable.

However, since no two people in that family are alike, there are times when conflict is bound to arise.

These differences of opinion can result in disputes that disrupt the unity that they have.

As a matter of fact, they can downright destroy the unity, not to mention the family…

Unless someone makes an attempt to work through the issues, and keep the family unit  intact.

Sharing the same last name, gene pool, etc. is not an automatic guarantee of unity.

It takes time, effort and energy to maintain that unity, especially when disagreements arise.

Something similar happens within the family we call the Church too, doesn’t it?

The Voice Translation puts it this way: “Make every effort to preserve the unity the Spirit has already created, with peace binding you together.”

Yes, we are united by the spiritual DNA of Jesus. We share, as Paul reminds us in verses 4-6: “one body and one Spirit…one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all.”

Regardless of all that holds us together in unity, there are also times when conflict arises and threatens to pull us apart.

On the one hand, unity is a given, a fact of life, a created reality.

Yet, on the other hand, unity cannot be taken for granted. It needs to be re-created so to speak…over and over again.

It takes work to make this happen, doesn’t it?

The Amplified Version stresses this: “Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace.”

Conflict has arisen on many an occasion in my life over the past 55 years of being a son and a brother in a biological family as well as a husband and father in the family that formed when Sulojana and I got married nearly 30 years ago.

Ditto for the 30 plus years of service as an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada.

While we have worked our way through most of that conflict constructively, we must also admit that not all of it led to happy endings.

Although conflict is inevitable in any family where there is honest and open communication, how we deal with it can make all the difference.

That is why, even before getting to the part about “making every effort to preserve the unity”, Paul says:

“Be humble and gentle in every way. Be patient with each other and lovingly accept each other.” (v. 2)

Before we get into conflict resolution or seek mediation, Paul calls for a character evaluation.

• “Am I humble and gentle in every way?”

• “Am I patient with my brothers and sisters and lovingly accept everyone of them?”

If the answer is “Yes” to both questions, rejoice!

If not, it’s time to repent, amen?

Shall we make a conscious attempt to turn around and change by the power of the Holy Spirit?

That would be taking the first step in making an “effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”