Jesus prayed for unity in John 17:20-23 but did you know that love and unity go hand in hand? “Beyond all these things put on and wrap yourselves in (unselfish) love, which is the perfect bond of unity (for everything is bound together in agreement when each one seeks the best for others)” (Col 3:14; AMP). This verse shows us that love and unity go hand in hand. We spend so much time praying for unity but maybe we should be focusing more on love? Phil 2:2 (NLT) reads, “Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.” Here again love and unity are closely tied together; if we work together in love and unity as these verses describe then much will be accomplished. Finally, in Ephesians 4:2,3 Paul again encourages us to patiently and lovingly bear with each other, staying united in the Spirit.

Basically, you can’t have unity without love and you can’t have true fellowship in the body of Christ without unity and therefore without love. It would seem from these 3 sections of scripture above that if we put others before ourselves, show them unselfish love and overlook their weaknesses, then unity in the body of Christ will result and, “How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133:1; NLT).