We Are Gathered Here for Unity

We Are Gathered Here

Imagine a barren desert, cracked and lifeless under the relentless heat of the sun. The ground is parched, crying out for rain, yet the sky remains an unbroken sheet of brass. But then, on the horizon, a dark cloud gathers. The first drop falls, then another, until the heavens open and the rain cascades down. The earth drinks deeply, and almost overnight, what was once desolate bursts into life—flowers bloom, rivers flow, and the air is filled with the fragrance of renewal. This is the power of unity among God’s people. Psalm 133 says it is like the precious oil poured on Aaron’s head, running down his beard, consecrating everything it touches. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion—life-giving, refreshing, and unstoppable. Where unity dwells, God commands a blessing. Where it is absent, the ground stays dry, and life withers.

Jesus Himself reinforces this in Matthew 18:20, saying, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” That means unity isn’t just a nice idea—it’s the atmosphere in which God chooses to move. The enemy knows this, which is why he works tirelessly to divide, to isolate, to stir conflict and suspicion. But when God’s people stand together—one heart, one voice, one purpose—the gates of hell tremble. Like a mighty river formed from countless small streams, our unity becomes a force that sweeps away strongholds, brings healing, and makes the presence of God undeniable.

There are many reasons that bring us here, things that we have in common such as our faith, our hope, our desire for the love of Christ. If you remember we have also talked about some other reasons such as fellowship, teaching and worshipping together.

While these are all amazing things we share, they also unify us when we are together but there is something even greater and that is Jesus. Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” I want you to think about that for a minute, we gather and unify ourselves in the name of Jesus Christ and that is reason enough.

It doesn’t take a large number of people to experience this, it happens when just two of us gather, over coffee, a meal, small group or at a home together. There are so many opportunities for us to gather in His Name.

Harmony, or unity, among the people of God is a blessing to the Father. For all the parents in the room, how wonderful is it when your kids are playing together, getting along, and enjoying one another? Why would it be any different with our heavenly Father who watches over all of us from His heavenly throne?

Psalm 133 paints a vivid picture of unity—one so rich and meaningful that it demands our attention. The poet, using the imagery of anointing oil, reveals a profound truth: unity is not just a feeling or an agreement; it is a sacred, overflowing blessing that touches everything in its path. When the high priest was anointed, the oil didn’t stay confined to one place—it flowed from his head to his beard, down to the very edges of his garments. Every part of him was consecrated, just as every member of the body of Christ shares in the same divine anointing when we walk in unity.

This image is more than poetic; it’s a spiritual reality. True unity isn’t about isolated individuals—it’s about a collective, a people bound together under the covering of God’s blessing. Just as the oil sanctified the high priest’s entire being, unity among believers spreads life, favor, and holiness. It is not stagnant; it moves, it covers, it consecrates. When we come together in genuine harmony, we experience the fullness of God’s presence—not just in part, but in abundance.

At the very end of Psalm 133 we learn that God bestows or commands His blessing over His people when they live together in unity. “Where brethren dwell together in unity, the Lord commands the blessing. God commands the blessing; man can but beg a blessing. Believers that live in love and peace, shall have the God of love and peace with them now, and they shall shortly be with him forever, in the world of endless love and peace. May all who love the Lord forbear and forgive one another, as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven them.”  – Matthew Henry

This sounds like the type of place we should want to be, to be in a place that breaks away from the world of division especially in today’s climate.

Look around you, and it’s impossible to ignore—we are a nation at war with itself. Politically, culturally, ideologically—we draw battle lines over everything. It’s not just about disagreement anymore; it’s about division so deep that it breeds contempt. Social media fuels the fire, news outlets profit from outrage, and powerful forces seem to thrive on keeping us distracted, divided, and distrustful of one another. And what’s the result? Anxiety, fear, and a society that is tearing itself apart from the inside out.

But have you ever stopped to ask—who benefits from this division? Why does it feel like the world is engineered to keep us fighting among ourselves? The more we argue, the less we unite. The more we fixate on our differences, the less we see our shared humanity. And in the chaos, we lose sight of truth, of peace, of what really matters. We are so caught up in proving a point, defending a stance, or winning an argument that we forget to ask—what is all this doing to us? To our hearts? To our souls? To our faith?

At some point, we have to decide—will we continue playing into the hands of those who profit from our division? Or will we rise above it? Because if we don’t, we will remain exactly where the sin of the world wants us—divided, distracted, and powerless.

There is a story of a small church and they received a new pastor and it was his first church and he was excited about all he was going to experience. Things were going great, until they weren’t and it all started at a board meeting one night. The church needed a new door and everyone agreed to the one they wanted, they ordered it and it looked great. Everyone loved it, except for one person, the old man that came to church every Sunday, every meeting, even had his own pew, pew number 7.

Well, the man didn’t like to door, he voted against it, tried to stop the installation even and he was mad at the pastor over the new door. Really mad. Over time he let the pastor know how mad he was, said mean and hurtful things to him and his family, damaged his property like sugar in his gas tank, those sort of things. He tried scaring him and his family away including trying to blow up the parsonage he stayed in. He placed a stick of dynamite outside the bedroom window of his son, eventually killing the pastor’s wife.

All of this sounds absurd over a door, it’s an over the top kind of story, it’s also a true story. The church I’m talking about isn’t far from here actually and a book was written about it called “The Devil in Pew Number 7.”

We Are One

Remarkably, concepts such as peace, harmony, unity, division, and community were just as significant two thousand years ago as they are today. It is difficult to identify a book in the New Testament that does not address, in some manner, our relationship with God or one another. Unity and harmony are commendable pursuits. It is crucial to bear in mind that ultimately, we are united in Christ.

Consider the words of Paul in his letter to the Ephesians: “As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received: with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” This is not just a promise—it’s a reality. When we come together in unity, we invite the very presence of God into our midst. Isolation may feel safer at times, especially when division wounds us, but it is in community, in unity, that God moves. Psalm 133 reinforces this truth, showing us that unity is like the anointing oil—sacred, overflowing, and covering all who stand together. God’s blessing doesn’t rest on the divided and scattered; it flows where His people are joined as one.

Division weakens, isolates, and robs us of God’s best and we also rob God of our best. But when we choose unity, when we forgive, reconcile, and stand together, we step into the place where His presence dwells and His blessings abound. We were never meant to walk this journey alone. We were created to be one body, one family, one people under Christ. So let’s refuse to let pride, offense, or fear keep us apart. Let’s pursue the kind of unity that draws heaven to earth—because where there is unity, there is God.