Unity Starts at Home
Ray and I recently watched an interview with outgoing senator Lamar Alexander who just retired after serving Tennessee for 18 years in the U.S. Senate. Before that he served as the governor of Tennessee for 8 years. Ray and I haven’t always agreed with Senator Alexander, but then I don’t guess we have always agreed with anyone except Jesus. We don’t have to agree with another human being all of the time to have respect and appreciation for that person. That’s a lesson that Americans need to learn.
Alexander spoke about two things he believes are especially important: protecting the beautiful American outdoors and Americans knowing American history. I agree that both are very important. I want to leave America’s environment clean and healthy for future generations.
Concerning American history, Alexander said that he agrees with documentary filmmaker Ken Burns. The Latin phrase E pluribus unum appears on the Great Seal of the United States. It means “out of many, one.” Burns said that America “needs more unum and less pluribus.” I agree with Alexander and Burns. We do need more unum and less pluribus. We do need more unity in America.
This week my writing research has taken me to Little Rock Central High School, scene of a major milestone in the Civil Rights Movement. In 1957 nine very brave African American teenagers volunteered to be the first black students to attend Little Rock Central High School. In 2005 a monument to those nine students was dedicated on the grounds of the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock. The monument includes statues of the nine students as they are walking to school.
The monument also has a quote from each of the Little Rock Nine, reflecting how they felt many years later about that sacrificial, painful, and heroic experience. Three of the quotes are especially encouraging to me.
“To God Be the Glory.” — Thelma Mothershed Wair
“Hard work, determination, persistence, and faith in God were lessons learned from my parents, Cartelyou and Juanita Walls. I was only doing what was right.” — Carlotta Walls LaNier
“The task that remains is to embrace our interdependence—to see ourselves reflected in every other human being, and to respect and honor differences.” — Melba Pattillo-Beals
Thank you for teaching your children to glorify God, to work hard, to be determined, to be persistent, to have faith in God, and to respect and honor differences. Unity is not the result of everyone thinking alike. Unity involves a decision to respect and honor differences. Home is a wonderful place to learn unity in spite of differences. When we practice unity, we are honoring a desire Jesus expressed to His Father shortly before He died for us. As Christians, we need to be examples of unity in our families and in our churches. It is one way to let our light shine before men.
I am not asking on behalf of these alone, but also for those who believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
The glory which You have given Me I also have given to them, so that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and You loved them, just as You loved Me.
John 17:20-24