A Cry for Unity
Whoever tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit. He who looks after his master shall be honored. — Proverbs 27:18
Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.Give no occasions for stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the assembly of God. — 1 Corinthians 10:31-32
Author
Faustino de Jesús Zamora Vargas
Summary: The Holy Spirit works sovereignly to advance the Kingdom, and extraordinary things can happen when the church is united in heart and mind. In Havana, La Higuera brought believers together to pray, dance, and praise God, serving as an instrument of unity between Israel and the church. Christians, Jews, and Arabs were also called to pray for peace and coexistence between Israel and Palestine. Our strength requires more than gathering around common goals: we must be of one accord, sharing one faith and one purpose in the Spirit. A lack of unity harms the gospel of reconciliation. Let us pray for the unity of the church and the restoration of Zion.
The Holy Spirit moves in ineffable and sovereign ways. The advance of the Kingdom is his sole aim, the church of Christ his special dwelling place and his outstretched arm; so we should not be surprised when extraordinary things happen as the church comes together with one mind.
God walked through Havana last weekend, bringing fig-tree seeds from his chosen people in several nations. He came with a mission to replant them and sprinkle them anew with water from heaven. The soil is fertile, and although the new gardeners are not very experienced in tending the shoots, they trust that the soil will bear fruit if the seed is well cared for, because the Fig Tree, when it grows under the watchful care of the Eternal God, is a strong tree that withstands any storm. The new gardeners’ only merit is that they love the Lord who brought the seeds, and they want to honor him. So they are already dressed and preparing their farming tools, because Cuban soil is good and they trust in their Lord.
La Higuera—International Ministry of Intercession—an instrument of God for making manifest the ministry of unity between Israel and the church, gathered in Havana by the grace of the Lord, and the church of Christ experienced a special day of prayer, dancing, and praise to our Savior. Is anything impossible for God?
But there is more. This same weekend, a seemingly extraordinary call has spread throughout Havana: an invitation for Christians, Jews, and Arabs living in Cuba to gather and pray together for lasting peace and for good relations between Israel and Palestine. It will take place on September 21 in one of this city’s landmark theaters (“Bertold Brecht”), and I now invite my brothers and sisters at León de Judá and La Higuera to intercede in prayer for this gathering. Is anything impossible for God?
The greatest strength of the church of Christ lies in its unity, yet unity continues to be its greatest weakness. Being together is not the same as being of one accord. Being together means joining forces to achieve common goals; being of one accord means being of one mind, sharing a passion for achieving common goals, but on the basis of a common faith. Luke gives the best illustration: “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one accord” (Acts 2:1).
But that is precisely the problem. We rarely achieve the formula: together in one accord. Often we are united (together), but not of one accord (of one mind), and unbelievers are the first to notice it (they are such keen observers!). If our lack of unity harms the gospel of reconciliation that we preach so often, our failure to be of one accord makes the church an easy target for the evil one’s darts and distances us from God’s eternal desire that we “be one” (John 17). No wonder Paul urged the brothers and sisters in Philippi this way: “Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose” (Phil. 2:2). To be of one accord is to be united in the Spirit.
La Higuera is the tree that “cries out” for unity and for one accord among the children of the God of Israel and of all nations, because, as believers in his Son Jesus, we too are called his people by his sovereign and perfect will. God has not abandoned his people; he still has plans to restore Zion, but he needs the unity and one accord of the church of Christ to kindle love and spread it like a benign plague that touches and restores even the hardest heart. Your prayer for this cause counts!
God bless you!