Exhibiting Unity of All Men of Good Will

This is a divided world. Helping to make it so are pride of nation, racial prejudice, education and social culture, rivalries, selfish ambitions, personal jealousies and envies. In particular have totalitarian powers succeeded in dividing religious organizations by severing their relations with their governing bodies outside their own country, inducing them to set up an independent organization willing to submit to totalitarian headship and promulgate its propaganda.

These factors, however, exert no influence on those who belong to the New World society. On the contrary, here we see the fulfillment of such scriptures as: “Look! how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!” “I make request, . . . that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in union with me and I am in union with you, that they also may be in union with us.” “In unity I shall set them, like a flock in the pen.” Yes, of them it is true even as it was of the early Christians: “The multitude of those who had believed had one heart and soul.”—Ps. 133:1; John 17:20, 21; Mic. 2:12; Acts 4:32.a

What accounts for this unique and remarkable unity? First of all, their united allegiance to the kingdom of God and to their one King, Shepherd and Leader, Jesus Christ. They pray to God, “Let your kingdom come,” and they “keep on . . . seeking first the kingdom.” They recognize Jesus Christ as “the King of those who rule as kings,” as the one whom Jehovah gave “as a leader and commander to the national groups,” and as “the right shepherd.”—Matt. 6:10, 33; 1 Tim. 6:15; Isa. 55:4; John 10:14.

Another unifying factor is the spirit of Jehovah God: “If we are living by spirit, let us go on walking orderly also by spirit.” The fruitage of this spirit is “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control.” Such fruitage serves to unify true Christians, and in particular does love, even as we read: “Clothe yourselves with love, for it is a perfect bond of union.”—Gal. 5:25, 22, 23; Col. 3:14.

Important also is the power of the truth, the increased light that God is causing to shine upon his Word, resulting in his people speaking, as it were, a new language, a pure language: “Then I shall give to peoples the change to a pure language, in order for them all to call upon the name of Jehovah, in order to serve him with one shoulder,” or in unity.—Zeph. 3:9, margin.

To keep this unique unity among those of the New World society we must be on guard against any divisive forces. Since God “made out of one man every nation of men,” and since God so loved the whole world of mankind as to send his Son to die for them, Jehovah shows no partiality to any due to nationality or race. Yes, among Christians “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female.” We must also be on guard against letting personalities divide us: “Let us not become egotistical, stirring up competition with one another, envying one another.”—Acts 17:26; Gal. 3:28; 5:26.

Further, we want to exercise care lest we become spotted by the world, for that also would cause division. Among such spots would be compromise as to our allegiance to God’s kingdom, as when a Christian would violate his neutrality in regard to the nations of the world, and watering down God’s high principles as to moral conduct.—Jas. 1:27; 1 John 2:15-17.

How can we be exhibiting this unity of all men of good will so as to help others take their stand for Jehovah and his kingdom? First of all, by associating with one another in all the various features of the Kingdom ministry, and in particular by sharing in the house-to-house ministry offering valuable Bible aids to all, and making return visits to assist interested ones. “Standing firm in one spirit, with one soul fighting side by side for the faith of the good news,” we also exhibit this unity by presenting the same message, teaching the same truths. As the prophet Isaiah long ago foretold: “Listen! your own watchmen have raised their voice. In unison they keep crying out joyfully.”—Phil. 1:27; Isa. 52:8.

During the summer months the world will see a dramatic example of the unity of Jehovah’s people as in their many thousands they converge from afar on the district assemblies held in Canada, Europe and the United States. Let no one of good will toward God who can possibly do so fail to attend at least one of these exhibitions of Christian unity. May one and all catch the spirit of the psalmist David when he sang out: “O magnify Jehovah with me, and let us exalt his name together.” And truly we do have much cause for praising Jehovah, do we not?—Ps. 34:3.

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