There are other verses in the Epistles that urge us to act
in harmony and agreement with each other. In 2 Corinthians 13:11, we are told
to “rejoice! Strive for full
restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the
God of love and peace will be with you.”
In the letter to the Philippians, Paul urges that community,
“make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in
spirit and of one mind.” (Philippians 2:2) Even St. Peter calls on the young
church to “be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate
and humble.” (I Peter 3:8)
The dictionary says that harmony is a friendly agreement, a
pleasing combination [of sounds] or notes sung or played together. This brings
to mind a collection of songs by John Michael Talbot called The Master Musician. In songs like Words and Music and the Conductor, as well as the title song Master Musician, Talbot compares a song to our lives in God. In
Words and Music he says, “The song exists from the time of
eternity, written by an ancient hand of God. The earthly composer has only to
uncover what was written by the Spirit all along.” We work in unity with God to
uncover and live the melody we were created for. The chorus of the song Master Musician echoes this. “We too are
like musicians lifting calloused hands to pray. From cloistered hearts and
cathedraled minds we music work with human effort responding to God‘s grace, making
melody for love.” We sing our melody and others sing theirs. All together we
make the symphony of life.
If ‘harmony’ is acting in agreement and becoming a ‘pleasing
combination of notes together’, what can we do to be more active in ‘responding
to God’s grace, making melody for love’? How do we uncover what was ‘written by
the Spirit all along’?
St. Paul has given us the guidelines in the preceding
verses. Have genuine, sincere love for each other and discern the good and
right. We are to remember what Mother Teresa said, “Reconciliation begins not
first with others but with ourselves: by allowing Jesus to clean us -- to
forgive us, to love us.” (June 29) We honor and serve one another with
enthusiasm, joy and patience, offering hospitality. Further, we are not to live
this way just we those who are ‘like’ us, but with all of Creation!
Acting in harmony with someone we
disagree with isn’t easy. Very often it means taking that extra (and really
hard) step to reach out a hand. It might mean accepting the hand held out to us
by someone we’ve been at odds with, too. It could, as we saw last time, require
that we “repay
evil with blessing” (I Peter 3:9). A long time ago I
clipped out a poem called Let me Be a
Little Kinder, to use as a prayer. Turns out it’s a song by Glen Campbell
that is actually called Less of Me. Either
way, it is a way to live in harmony as we ‘think more of my neighbor, and a
little less of me’. 
Let me be a little blinder
To the faults of those about me
Let me praise a little more
Let me be when I am weary
Just a little bit more cheery
Think a little more of others
And a little less of me
Let me be a little braver
When temptation bids me waver
Let me strive a little harder
To be all that I should be
Let me be a little meeker
With the brother that is weaker
Let me think more of my neighbor
And a little less of me
Let me be when I am weary
Just a little bit more cheery
Let me serve a little better
Those that I am strivin' for
The good news is that we are
not alone in doing this work of living in harmony and offering reconciliation. God is with us and in us with Grace to help us
begin ‘making melody for love.’ Jesus promises to send “the Spirit
of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know
Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14: 17-18).
Next week, we'll conclude this series with a look at what Paul says about humility in our Pentecost lives. After Labor Day, we'll move into some rather 'right brained' activities based on the Lord's Prayer.
Let love be genuine
(sincere, honest); hate
what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal,
be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering,
persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality
to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony
with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly;
do not claim to be wiser than you are.
