21 October 2022

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
From Ephesians 4: 1-6, NRSV

Here we have another strong appeal for unity amongst the Christian community in Ephesus. As with all communities, different personalities would have clashed and people’s actions and words would not always have been worthy of their Christian calling. The writer is reminding the people of some of the basic requirements for community life. Perhaps this reminder could just as easily apply to Christian communities today?

• • Is this ideal vision of a Christian community achievable?
  • What can we do to guard against behaviour that is not worthy of our calling as Christians?

Pray for any instances of disunity in your own community and for guidance about any action you can take to heal this.