Psalm 133
Behold!
Read/pray the psalm. (Full text at bottom.)
1 Behold, how good and joyful a thing it is
when brethren dwell together in unity.
In this penultimate Song of Ascents, the pilgrims sing of the beauty of unity.
The image above shows how unity works—gathering the many to the One, to the point, the mountaintop—Zion!1
We often try to build community by getting people together to… “connect” with one another.
That’s not wrong. But it is not the point. The point is the point: Why are we all here?2
These worshipers dwell in unity because they are worshipping the One.
The top of the mountain touches heaven.
The mountain is the axis mundi, the turning point, the meeting point, of heaven and earth.
And God responds by unifying them, and blessing them.
So…
Imagine this picture of unity:
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, [Now you pray the conclusion:]
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” [Revelation 7:9-12]Psalm 133 Ecce, quam bonum! 1 Behold, how good and joyful a thing it is * when brethren dwell together in unity. 2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, * even Aaron’s beard, and went down to the edges of his clothing, 3 Like the dew of Hermon, * which falls upon the hills of Zion. 4 For there the Lord promised his blessing, * even life for evermore. New Coverdale Psalter
For more visuals on the symbolism of the mountain, see my 3-minute video here.
After a lonely freshman year at college, I looked into the Christian organizations available, and met with the leader of one. He asked me, “What are you looking for?” I told him I wanted Christian fellowship. He said, “Well, we’re not really here for that. We’re here to reach this campus with the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Wow.
I got involved. It was the best Christian fellowship I had ever known.