January 3, 2022 -- Oh how good and pleasant it is when brethren live together in unity. Psalm 133:1
In essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, in all things charity. Grange motto and also the motto of the Moravian Church
Our Grange motto was originally coined by an obscure German theologian during the thirty-years’ war, back in the 1600s.
And finally, at the Last Supper, our Lord said, “A new commandment I give you: that you love one another as I have loved you.”
Thus, the message is clear. Despite the fact that our fellow brothers and sisters in the Grange come in all colors, flavors and sizes, despite the fact that we have a high diversity of opinions, of backgrounds, of religious and political viewpoints, we are bound together in a single fraternity.
Sometimes we may find ourselves in strident disagreement with one another, sometimes we may be angered or distressed by another Granger’s actions or words, but at the end of the day we must put these aside and embrace each other in a spirit of love and brotherhood.
What unites us is stronger than what divides us. In the Grange, as in any large family, we will have likes and dislikes, people we prefer being around compared to others, But we must learn to LOVE even those we do not particularly like, because we ARE all one family, one community of brothers and sisters, with common goals and objectives.
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