Unity in Diversity

Every morning here at RBM, we meet at 8:00 am for a time of prayer. Some people cry out to the Lord with a loud voice, some pray tender, quiet prayers, some pray silently; I often pray in the form of drawing a picture.

I’ve attended many churches where a person paints during worship – creating a prophetic image that God is showing the individual. Sometimes it’s a ship in a storm, a flower blooming, a tree bearing fruit. I began this practice of drawing for the Lord in prayer a few years ago. It is my own prayer journal. And to look back upon the images God has given me through the years is a blessing.

So in morning prayer time I ask God, “What are You saying?” One morning last week, I stared down at the colored pencils that I use and He said “Look at all of the colors. Aren’t they beautiful?” I said, “Yes!” (I LOVE color.)

As I looked at all of the colors of the pencils I saw a rainbow. Then I heard “Unity in Diversity”. I drew and colored a rainbow. Now, we all know that this symbol is highly controversial. This post has absolutely nothing to do with homosexuality. This is about the beautiful visual expression of God’s covenant with Noah, saying that He would never again flood the Earth. He created the rainbow; He clearly defined it’s purpose and meaning in Genesis 9. (See! God draws too! “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalm 19:1)

A rainbow has 7 colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. (7 is the number of completion and perfection.) All white light is actually composed of these 7 colors. The light that enables us to see is composed of these colors! Amazing! It’s only when light goes through a prism that the colors separate. This is what happens when it rains; raindrops act as prisms and they reveal the individual colors that make up the light.

Jesus said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” I John 1:5 says, “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” Then Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:14, “You are the light of the world.” So God puts His light in us and it shines…in diverse ways!

You can’t take red out of light and it still be light as God made it. Each individual color is crucial to it’s composition. Each color is individually beautiful and unique. However, a rainbow wouldn’t be as beautiful if it were just blue…the colors together are what make it whole. So it is in us. The same one Spirit flows through many people and gives many gifts, for the common good! 1 Corinthians 12:4 says, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.” Romans 12:4-5 says, “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We must see the necessity of every gift of the Spirit and every part of the Body. We are indivisible; together we fulfill our purpose as God intended. 

Today, celebrate the amazing “University” of God!