THE Church For All service at Crediton Methodist Church on Sunday, August 16 was led by Pam Murphy. Her theme was ‘Separation turned to Unity’.

Wealthy people used to take the Grand Tour to enlighten their minds about the Arts. Today we are doing a day trip through the big story of Joseph – a story from separation to unity.

The service began with Psalm 133 – a Psalm about goodness of living together in unity. We looked at the causes of disunity in Joseph’s family that led to him being sold into slavery; his years and progress in Egypt and his reconciliation with his family.

Pam had been given a Wordsearch book where each search puzzle has a different theme. She has got to number 52 which is ‘All Together’.

There are 32 words to find about doing or being together –.from ‘gaggle‘ and ‘flock’ for groups of animals, to ‘alliance’, ‘coalition’, ‘community’ and ’union’ for when people live and work together and co-operate with one another.

Some are words we use in our church life. We have ‘flock’ which Jesus called His followers and there is ‘class’ – like the groups that John Wesley encouraged people to meet in fellowship.

There is ‘congregation’ – like us gathered to meet with the common purpose of worshipping God as the family of God in which is has been said ‘no Christian is an only child’ (Eugene Patterson). God has made us to live and work together in unity.

However, it is not always like that, is it? Thinking of all the generations from Adam & Eve, amongst the good and beneficial God-given qualities people have, Jacob and his family displayed a whole range of behaviours that led to disunity and separation in their family and 4000 years on, human behaviour has not changed.

The wonderful thing in Joseph’s story is that despite all that had passed between them, despite the bitterness that a father’s favouritism for one son had brought into the hearts of his brothers, despite a favoured son’s propensity to boasting, despite the brothers’ wreaking revenge on their brother by selling him to slave traders, God’s hand was in the way Joseph’s life progressed and in the remarkable reconciliation 22 years later that was achieved between the brothers.

No wonder the brothers were terrified when Joseph revealed to them who he was. There was no rancour, no anger or bitterness from Joseph. Instead of taking revenge for what they had done to him, Joseph explained ‘though you meant evil against me, God meant it for good’.

God had used all that had happened to Joseph so that he would be in a place where he could save lives during a long period of famine. Then, telling them not to be afraid, he promised to provide for the brothers and their families.

Sometimes, sadly we become aware of a family relationship that has broken down – sometimes one side is baffled about what has led to it, they do not understand what they have done to cause the separation and have not been given the chance to make amends.

Sometimes they have not spoken for years, addresses have changed and they do not even know if the other person is still alive. This age-old story of Joseph is an example of reconciliation, of forgiveness and healing.

Instead of wanting to get his own back, Joseph took the path from separation to reunion, the path of lovingly restoring his family’s bond. With God’s help, Joseph showed a powerful, blessed example of mercy, heralding the forgiveness Christ Jesus offers to sinners, and His call that we should forgive one another as we have been forgiven.

Old Testament stories all point towards the coming Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God who would become incarnate and live among us to reflect the very image of God to us in His love, forgiveness and compassion.

Joseph’s story is an important part of God’s on-going work of salvation. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers – those who should have been closest to him. Jesus, too, was betrayed and let down by those He was closest to.

Joseph’s suffering led to him being able to save his family during the famine. Jesus’ death and resurrection freely offers salvation to everyone.

We live in a world where retaliation or pay back is the common response to a feeling of being treated unjustly. God works in ways that very often people do not understand. He acts in ways that go against ‘natural’ human response.

Though the brothers wanted to bring harm to Joseph, God brought good out of it. Though many would have held a grudge when hurt by another, God worked in Joseph’s heart with that spirit of forgiveness and He enabled Joseph to realise that through his suffering God had been able to put him in a place where he could effectively help save many lives, as well as restore love and unity into his family’s life together.

Where we cannot make sense of all the fragments of human interactions, God sees the bigger picture.

He knows how He will bring together all the little things we can contribute. But for people it is a bit like the back of a piece of embroidery. You can only make out its full beauty when you turn it around. We have God’s blessing visible in all it’s glory

The model given to us in Joseph’s story is not just for families. We need so much to see reconciliation and forgiveness in world affairs too and between the world’s leaders, so that all the world will truly become the family of God.

What a difference it would make to the poorest and most vulnerable people if the powerful and influential would work together to really serve rather than to seek and retain power.

What a difference it would make if all people were attentive to God’s sustained involvement in our evolving history and put Him at the centre of all the world’s thinking and action, involved in building His Kingdom here.

May each of us be active in our desire, with God’s help, to bring loving unity where there is discord.

Bronwyn Nott