We are talking about the local church here. This is not about ecumenical, inter-church unity, it is about the spirit of unity among true believers in an individual church.
We are watching all the time, not the other person but ourselves, for hastiness, even bitterness of reaction or whatever. Am I in this discussion too fond of clinging to my view, my opinion, too proud of the conclusions that I have come to? I am watching myself. Is there something pompous or unreasonable about what I am saying or the way I am saying it? You can ruin it with gossip, critical spirit, indifference to others, unkindness, but you don’t have to ruin it. You can keep it and even develop it. Take steps and measures. Pray that you won’t hurt or hinder unity. Pray that you will appreciate other people. Pray that you will find ways of expressing affection and help and take yourself in hand when tempted to gossip, or to be critical.
There are things that husbands have to be firm about to wives and there are probably more things that wives have to be firm about to husbands, but still there is kindness, affection, respect, and humility of mind. Meekness, kindness, servant spirit – as in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 and then you are so happily married and the Lord draws you so closely to each other.
We don’t stick to (to use an old-fashioned word) the same class of person, although we are nowadays largely a classless society; but people can still gravitate to their own likeness and that is wrong. Fellowship, peace, togetherness, oneness means that we go beyond these natural divisions. We go beyond our age group. Do you ever speak to the young? If you are young, do you ever move among those who are older? It is a wonderful thing to mix more freely and not just be drawn like a magnet to our own kind, almost in fear and dread of reaching beyond that. None of us should be lazy in these things.