The gift of unity

by Renny Khoo

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Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul (Acts 4:32a).

Read Acts 4:32–37

The people gathered in Acts 4 weren’t a naturally uniform or harmonious group. They were ordinary men and women from varied social, cultural and economic backgrounds, drawn together through Jesus Christ and transformed by the Holy Spirit.

Among them were fishermen from Galilee like Peter and John, tax collectors such as Matthew, zealots like Simon the Zealot, widows, families, pilgrims from many regions and wealthy landowners who possessed houses or fields. Acts 2 also tells us that Jews from across the Roman world, speaking different languages and shaped by different cultures, were present in Jerusalem during Pentecost. Many of the natural barriers that normally divide people were still present. Yet something deeper had happened among them. They had encountered the crucified and risen Christ.

The disciples themselves had previously struggled with rivalry, fear, misunderstanding and self-interest. Before the resurrection, they argued about who was greatest. At Jesus’ arrest, many fled in fear. Peter denied even knowing Jesus. The unity described in Acts was, therefore, not evidence of unusually virtuous people finally getting along. It resulted from God’s gracious work among broken people.

Several things reshaped and reoriented them.

Firstly, they were gathered by a shared dependence on Christ. They knew they had received mercy, forgiveness and new life not because they deserved it, but because of God’s grace. Standing together at the foot of the cross humbled them all equally.

Secondly, they were formed through waiting and prayer. After Jesus’ ascension, the believers gathered continually in prayer and expectation (Acts 1:14). Their unity was cultivated not through strategy, but through shared attentiveness to God.

Thirdly, the coming of the Holy Spirit gave them a new identity. At Pentecost, the Spirit didn’t erase their differences but created a new community in which those differences no longer defined their primary belonging. They became one body in Christ.

Finally, the resurrection reoriented their understanding of possessions, security and neighbour. If Christ had conquered death and inaugurated God’s kingdom, then material goods no longer needed to be clutched tightly. Their confidence rested in God’s provision and in their shared life together. Generosity became possible because fear began to lose its hold.

This is why Acts describes such remarkable unity. It wasn’t uniformity, nor was it human idealism. It was a Spirit-created fellowship shaped by grace, prayer, resurrection hope and a new understanding of belonging in Christ.

How has God’s grace changed the way you view your possessions, your time and the people around you? What opportunity do you have to share his generosity?

Pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to strengthen the Basel Christian Church of Malaysia congregations in faith, prayer and unity. Pray that through their shared life in Christ, the church would be a powerful witness to God’s grace and a source of hope and encouragement to the communities they serve.

Pastor Renny Khoo is the dean of Basel Christian Church of Malaysia.

One in Christ

The devotions for this week are featured in LCA International Mission’s 2026 ‘Pentecost Devotional and Prayer Guide’ and are written by mission partners from around the world. LCA International Mission invites you to pray during Pentecost for the connections and ministries of our international partners. An electronic copy of the full devotional is available to download at the LCA International Mission website. Please email lcaim@lca.org.au or phone 08 8267 7317 to request a printed copy. by Touch KeovsreyLiak

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There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).

Read Galatians 3:19–28

In Cambodian society, people are often identified by their family background, occupation, education level or economic status. These factors can easily become the basis for how people value themselves and others, creating barriers and divisions between individuals and communities. Some may feel important because of their position or achievements, while others may feel insignificant or unworthy of the same respect and dignity.

Yet in Galatians 3:28, the Apostle Paul boldly declares: ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’

This doesn’t mean that our differences disappear. God created each person with unique gifts, cultures, languages, personalities and experiences. Diversity is part of God’s good creation. However, these differences no longer determine our ultimate identity or worth. Our most important identity is that we’re children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Within the church, we encounter people from many different backgrounds. Some are wealthy, while others struggle financially. Some have received higher education, while others have had limited opportunities. Some are young, and others are old. Yet when we stand before the cross, we all share the same need for God’s grace, and we all receive the same gift of salvation through Christ.

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples as they were gathered together in one place. They were different people with different stories and personalities, yet they were united by the same Lord. The Holy Spirit continues this work today, gathering people from every nation, culture and social background into one family of God.

As Christians in Cambodia, where social distinctions and cultural expectations can sometimes separate people, we’re called to live differently. We’re invited to see one another not through the lens of status, education, ethnicity, or social standing, but through the lens of Christ’s love. In him, we belong to one another because we first belong to him.

Let us, therefore, live in the gift of this unity. May we not allow our differences to become walls that divide us, but opportunities to reflect the richness of God’s kingdom. Our unity isn’t founded on being alike; it’s founded on our shared belonging to Jesus Christ, who has made us one through faith.

Which differences between people do you find hardest to look beyond? How does your shared identity in Christ shape your view of others?

Pray that God will strengthen the unity of the Lutheran Church in Cambodia, helping believers to welcome and value one another as members of one family in Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit to break down barriers of social status, education, ethnicity, age and economic position, and to help the church be a living witness to God’s love, grace and acceptance.

Rev Touch KeovsreyLiak is the bishop of the Lutheran Church in Cambodia.

Going first

by Sivin Kit

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First be reconciled to your brother or sister (Matthew 5:24b).

Read Matthew 5:21–26

The room went silent. A participant had openly challenged a presenter. In my Malaysian–Chinese world, public criticism and embarrassment cut deep, especially when the critic holds more power. My instinct was to let it fade, but this would signal the behaviour was acceptable. I didn’t voice it then, but later, I found the courage to reach out. We sat down, and I said, ‘Your outburst wasn’t right.’ The conversation between us was uncomfortable. But paradoxically necessary. And liberating.

The pull to avoid conflict is real. True peace can’t ignore it. In Matthew 5, Jesus unpacks how conflict begins. It doesn’t jump straight to murder. The battle brews within us: anger hidden in our hearts, the dismissive insult, then the word that cuts through: ‘You fool.’ Long before anyone raises a fist, walls go up one thought at a time.

After the damage is done, who must go first? Not the person who was hurt, but the one who caused the offence. And yet I wrestled with this: if the offender never goes, the burden falls on the one wounded. But here I was in a third position. I chose to comfort the offended first, then speak to the offender. Peacemaking is picking up broken pieces and making a mosaic.

At the recent council meeting of the Lutheran World Federation, a global communion of churches from over 99 countries, we began morning prayer by facing one another and saying: ‘Forgive me, a sinner.’ The reply came, sometimes with a sign of the cross: ‘God forgives.’ Then together, each in our own language, we prayed the Lord’s Prayer, the words ‘forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us’ rising in many tongues at once. Different languages, drawn together by the same Spirit who fell on the disciples gathered in prayer at Pentecost.

Many are hungry for reconciliation. In Malaysia, Malay–Muslim friends greet one another at their festivals with ‘Maaf, Zahir Batin’, which means ‘Forgive me, inside and out’. As Christians, we share that hunger but stand on this ground: we forgive because God has first forgiven us.

So who is going first? Perhaps you’re the one who must initiate. Perhaps you’re called to name how you’ve been hurt, or you find yourself in between. In the end, the offender did reach out. There was an apology. Forgiveness. Some healing. I don’t know if there was full reconciliation. But at least there was movement in the right direction.

Blessed are the peacemakers. Not because it’s easy. But because when we go first, what was ugly can turn into something new and even something beautiful.

Is there someone with whom you need to seek peace? What step might God be calling you to take toward reconciliation?

Pray for God to give the Lutheran World Federation leaders and members the courage to address conflicts honestly, the grace to seek reconciliation and the wisdom to be peacemakers in a divided world. Pray that, across languages, cultures and nations, the global Lutheran communion will bear witness to the reconciling love of Christ and reflect the unity created by the Holy Spirit.

Rev Dr Sivin Kit is the director for Theology, Mission and Justice for The Lutheran World Federation.