Now, on the flip side and probably all the more frequent, we tend to believe that which is actually quite “common” in everyday life to be “uncommon.” To believe this, to react this way, to perceive this, can hurt and leave us feeling alone. We might feel as if we are the only ways feeling the way we feel. We might think we can’t be helped and that no one knows what we are going through. Life at times makes us believe that what is very common and that all of us go through is actually uncommon and only unique to me and my situation.

And our lives are unique. We have our own individual problems and our own individual situations. But the feelings, the emotions, and discouragement are the same for all of us. It’s the same for you as it is for your neighbor. It may be unique but it is also very “common.”

And for that reason Paul takes our attention to the past. He helps us to look at what was said and what was taught in the Bible. And then Paul tells us that the Bible is our source for hope in a time when we need endurance and encouragement. It’s not uncommon to get discouraged, says Paul. He tells the Romans to look at those who have been through it all before you. Look at the situations that confronted them in life. Look at the personal peril and troubles. Look at the hardships and the loss. Look, at the most faithful in the Lord in the Old Testament and realize that nothing you are going through is “uncommon.” There is always hope and hope is what we have.

Hope is an Advent theme and the definition of hope is always worth repeating. Hope properly defined is: “A promise given but not yet fully realized.” Hope from God, to you and to me, comes in the form of a promise/gift. Because it is a gift, there is always hope. Because there is hope, there is encouragement and there is endurance. All of these things come through what God has established for us: people as examples, proverbs to live by, history to show the way, suffering of God’s own people, restoration from certain doom.

There is always hope. And where there is hope there is also the opportunity for unity in the truth. Paul says, “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” But I want you to notice something about these words. There is always hope for a “spirit of unity” among those who believe in the truth. Paul knows what that unifying factor will be. It will be and “is” Jesus the Lord. The truth.

Beloved in the Lord, without the truth, there will never be unity. I promise you that the nation of Israel and the nation of Islam will continue to fight over what is called “The Holy Land” Palestine, the Gaza Strip, until the Lord comes again. We cry out “Peace in the Middle East” but the fact is there never will be peace. Oh sure, there might be peace for a while, but it won’t last. The reason, they don’t know, they cannot agree on, what is the truth. Truth brings about unity. It’s the common thread. It’s not uncommon like this world wants to believe, for the world believes truth can be anything you want it to be. No, truth is truth. There is one truth. And without truth there is no unity. Without unity there is no peace.

The same will be true for our lives in the world as well. There will never be peace for us in this world. The reason, there is no unity. Why is there no unity? The reason: because the world does not believe in the truth. My standard won’t be someone else’s so just go and do what you want. And if it is wrong, you can justify it by simply saying, “It’s what makes me happy.” How can it be wrong when it makes me feel good? How can it be wrong when nobody seems to be getting hurt? How can it be wrong – because doesn’t God just want me to be happy, no matter what?

God is not a “If it feels good, do it” God. He has standards – it’s called the standard of truth. It comes out most specifically through the Law. That standard is what we are to live by. That standard has a code and our Lord gives us ten of them in the Bible. From this, the Law of God is written for us to follow. That is the truth.

I would like to read a short article to you from this last week’s Kansas City Star. The topic is an events calendar for a school district in Spokane, Washington. It says, “In a December newsletter to the families of elementary pupils, Spokane Public Schools’ list of ‘important dates’ didn’t include Christmas. Hanukkah, Human Rights Day, winter break, the Islamic holy day of Eid al-Adha, the first day of winter and Kwanzaa all made the list, but no Christmas.” Have we gone so far as to make sure we include everyone that we have lost what is truly the most important thing – the truth?

I wish this were “uncommon.” However, such things are not. It is “common” to see Christmas getting a back seat or no seat at all. We have spent so much time trying to “not offend” anyone, that we have lost true meaning. We have lost the truth. And as long as this is the case, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ the Lord, we will never have “the spirit of unity” among the peoples of this world.

But what about here at Christ Lutheran? Can we have that spirit of unity here? Will we have it here? Yes. With the truth we can have unity. Now, this is not to say that all believers, all Lutherans in our case, should all come to the same conclusions on matters of conscience. We may have different opinions on what is best for the ministry in this place. That’s not wrong, nor is it misplaced if the truth is not compromised. However, differences in these matters should not be allowed to destroy basic unity fundamental to the truth in Christ.

What draws us together in a spirit of unity is what brings us together today. The spirit of unity if founded upon the Confession of Christ. And if that confession remains in tact, then even within dispute we remain united in Christ – so as long we continue to remain in Christ. Often times when dispute arises, if things don’t go our way, we get angry and then separate ourselves from each other. This is dangerous. The reason: God has given all of us each other – not because we all agree – but because we all have a common uniting factor that always brings us back to the truth. With that on our side, nothing can destroy what God has built. Nothing can compromise the spirit of unity when “one mouth and one heart glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” as Paul says in our text.

Troubles and problems come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. They may be unique to us but they are not uncommon. What we have “in common” is that we all live in a fallen world with worldly troubles and discouragements. Here is what else in not “uncommon”. We have a common Lord that set out to do a common good. He set out to live and then to die for all people – people that we might call common or uncommon. He set out to die for all people. His coming as a child in Bethlehem was anything but common. But He was born to a common woman. He was born in a common place. He even had the same common friends, common flesh and blood, and common vocations that we have. But He was more. He was God.

And this part of Jesus that is very uncommon is the part that could live and die and live again for us so that we might have the endurance and encouragement in this world each and every day. This is what we share in together. And this might be the most common thread. We have the same Father – all of us. We have the same home – heaven – all of us. This is what unites us in the spirit of unity to go out and tell the world about our family. It’s a family brought together by Jesus. We have Jesus together.

Amen. The peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.