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We live in a culture that\u2019s full of divisiondivision that leads to\ndifferences in ideas, differences in politics, and even to war. We hear\nterms like cultural warfare, cancel culture, and cultural bias. These\nphrases are interlaced when it comes to decisions about education, voting\nrights, safety, and health. It can feel like there are more problems than\nthere are solutions. It\u2019s daunting. When I seek peace, I find it in nature.\nA hike in the woods makes me feel balanced. I\u2019ll sit on a rock or find a\nsmall clearing and listen to birdsong, babbling creeks, and the whispering\nwind. I observe the rich shades of green trees and grass, the earthy brown\ndirt and branches, and the playful blue sky and crisp running water. I\nbreathe it in. In nature, God shows us unity. All those parts of the\nlandscapethe colors, the sounds, the various materialsare pieces of a\nwhole. In nature, diversity lives in unity. While a fallen tree rots, a new\nflower blooms. Every part plays an integral role. Seeing all the pieces\nthriving together as one ecosystem brings me peace. God invites us to learn\nfrom nature. We are all created by God, kept alive by His power, on this\nplanet, at this time, to honor and love Him. He made us each different on\npurpose. And we can thrive, all of us, when we put God first. This is only\npossible through Jesus. His death and resurrection have made the way for us\nto be united to Him and to each other. As Jesus\u2019s people, we are called to\nfollow Him and be part of His work of unity, knowing that one day He will\nreturn bodily to earth and fully restore His creationincluding\nrelationships between people. In the meantime, my goal toward unity is to\nlove God and live by His Word. As I remember the wholeness I experience in\nnature, I know that my small piece will be to love others as God loves me,\nand hopefully my piece brings a bit more peace to the whole. Kelly Bakshi\n Why is it a worthy goal to love and respect people you disagree with? \nWhen the world seems out of control, how can getting alone with God help us\nstay centered? Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.\nColossians 3:14 (CSB)\n\xa0\nRead Verses:\nRomans 14:19; Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:12-Colossians 3:15; Matthew 22:36-Matthew 22:40