2 Corinthians 13:11-13 (NRSV)
Read 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 on biblegateway.com
Verse 11Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Verse 12Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. Verse 13The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.
Devotion
Disagreements happen in any group of people. If you took a poll of any organization, it would seldom happen that all of the members of that gathering would agree on each and every issue before them. They may try very hard to agree, but there will always be a source of disagreement somewhere among them. The question then becomes, "Is this group being unbiblical because they seem to be ignoring the call of many passages such as the one we have before us that calls us to agree and to be united?" The answer to that question is, "No." What unites Christians is not how they vote in certain elections or how they feel about social and theological issues. What unites us and brings us together is our agreement on having faith in the forgiving and saving acts of Jesus dying on the cross and being raised on Easter morning. As Bishop Mark Hanson has said, we are united at the foot of the cross. Our task is to find ways to invite people to join us at the cross and to see how their entire lives have been changed and transformed by the death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Prayer
Restoring God, you know that we, as sinful human beings, cannot agree on each and every issue that we face collectively. Help us to see the unity that only you can bring about. Help us to be one, as you and Jesus are one, by laying our differences aside and joining one another at the foot of the cross of your Son, in whose name we pray. Amen.