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You are all one in Christ Jesus

  Unity: As human beings, our brains are wired to notice differences. Instead of working hard to process every single thing we see, hear, or smell from scratch, our brains rely on past experiences to create a "quick summary" about what is happening in our current surroundings and then a “quick response” as to what we might do about it. You could say that our brains basically run on autopilot until something breaks the pattern.

 How does this work? According to studies by Karl Friston and Wolfram Schultz, when something unexpected or different happens, our brains instantly snap out of autopilot and fire off an "alarm signal" powered by a brain chemical called dopamine. Within a fraction of a second, this sudden chemical spike forces you to drop what you're doing, shift your focus to the surprise, and then update your mental playbook so you aren't caught off guard.

  What does that mean? Well, it means that it does not take long for us to notice differences, and our brains actually reward us when we do.

  Our brain wiring, combined with the media and messages we find ourselves immersed in, seem to work together to amplify and even weaponize those differences. It is no wonder, then, that unity is a commodity in short supply these days politically, racially, socioeconomically, even religiously.

  Thanks be to God for His Word, for the prophets and apostles who shared it with people in the past, and for the example and teaching of His Son, Jesus which even instructs us in the present!  In contradistinction to the influence of our surrounding culture that seeks to highlight divisions among us, God seems to be on the side of unity.

  In marriage: “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).

  In the church: “I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose” (1 Corinthians 1:10).

  Among different kinds of people: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

  Even in heaven: �ter this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb..." (Revelation 7:9ff).

  Jesus even included a prayer for unity with His disciples recorded by His close friend and follower, John: “My prayer is not for them alone (Jesus’ disciples). I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message (that includes you and me!) that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:20-21).

  So, my fine Frankenmuth News reading friends, when the next news program,  social media post, or influential podcaster call for division, dissension, or the choosing of one side and the vilifying of the other; I would invite you to take a moment, breathe a prayer to the Lord, consider His Word of promise, and remember His call for unity in truth, in life, in faith, and in our relationships with one another; through His Son, Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the dead make our union with God and each other possible!

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