“Red Rover, Red Rover, send Colleen right over.” Anyone remember this game or am I completely dating myself? In this game, you have two sides, two lines of people, facing off at each other. Then, the captain of one team says, “Red Rover, Red Rover send (the weakest person) on over.” The point of the game is to have such a strong front, with the team arm in arm, that the runner, running at full speed, can’t break through the line. If the person breaks through the line, they get to grab someone from the other team and bring them back to their line. If the line holds, the runner becomes part of the new team, the new line of defense. That person, although too weak to break the line, makes the line stronger by joining a new force to the overall effect.  

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While this might be an oversimplification of what Jesus has called us to, and what Paul is talking about in our verse today, I think it shows a beautiful picture of the strength and benefit of unity. You see, as more and more arms join in unity for the defense of the line, the line gets stronger and stronger. Each member plays a part to give strength and protection to the others.  

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In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul talks about the strength of many for the benefit of the body – we make each other stronger. “All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he will. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jews or Greeks, slaves or free – and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many” (vv. 11-13).

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And when we are working as one body in unity, we show the world something different than they expect to see. The world is “kill or be killed,” where the Kingdom is “lay down your life for one another.” In John 17:20-21, Jesus says, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will 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 may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (emphasis added).

Where have you contributed to the unity of the body? Where have you caused disunity? Have you ever found yourself being envious of another’s gifting – that’s disunity. Have you ever felt like you contributed more to the body than others – that’s disunity. Have you ever celebrated someone else’s success when you are still longing for the desires of your heart – THAT is unity, friends.  

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Father, we know you celebrate when your people are of one spirit just as you are one Spirit. May we be a people who seek unity at every opportunity. May we celebrate unity as you do. As Psalm 133 says, “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.”