One

The old Beatles' song lamenting "One is the loneliest number" certainly rings true in the sense of being out on your own with no one to love or support you.  Being part of a community is a basic need that humanity shares.  There are very few true "lone wolves," most preferring and even needing to travel in a pack.

However, "one" can be the most inclusive number in the sense of unity or being one in spirit or purpose or fellowship.  There is safety, mutual support and camaraderie when a group pulls together as one.  And, from the outside looking in, there is a message of familial love and group support that is appealing and compelling.

As misplaced as it may be, that is the draw of inner-city gangs that promise a place where one belongs, where one finds safety, support and solace.  But if you take that oneness away, even a church with a spot on message of mercy and grace and salvation has little or no appeal.  People aren't convinced of our Christian claim if we exhibit a fellowship farce.

It is not the message that "we are the one true church" that appeals to the hearts and minds of mankind, it is the mingling of hearts and minds of the church community that proves our case.  As Jesus so plainly put it, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (Jn 13:35).

Perhaps the greatest failure of the Christendom is the lack of that unity, that the church is anything but one having been divided over the centuries into countless denominational groups that approach each other with suspicion and often animosity if they approach one another at all.  With the amount of finger-pointing, bickering and outright condemnation from one church group to another, it is a wonder anyone ever hears the message of Christ.

This "lack of one," this division of spirit, purpose and common regard results in a serious weakening of the church, the family and the nation.  Look how each has deteriorated in our country.  For our country to truly be "Great Again," this oneness is critical.  We need the strengthening of the bonds of fellowship in our families, in the Christian Community and in our nation itself.

Jesus warned us two millennia ago: “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand" (Matt 12:25).  An Lincoln reiterated two centuries ago on the occasion of being selected as Illinois' Republican senator, speaking our against slavery: "A house divided against itself cannot stand."

Nothing has changed since the time of our Lord or of Lincoln.  We face perilous times from a position of weakness that can only be overcome by our coming together in our families, our Christian community and our nation.  Jus' Say'n.