用和平彼此联络，竭力保守圣灵所赐合而为一的心。-以弗所书4章3节

After I confronted my friend by email over a matter on which we had differed, she didn’t respond. Had I overstepped? I didn’t want to worsen the situation by pestering her, but neither did I want to leave things unresolved before she went on a trip overseas. As she popped into my mind throughout the following days, I prayed for her, unsure of the way forward. Then one morning I went for a walk in our local park and saw her, pain etched on her face as she glimpsed me. “Thank You, Lord, that I can talk to her,” I breathed as I approached her with a welcoming smile. We talked openly and were able to resolve matters.

我和一位朋友对某件事有了争执，我寄了一封电子邮件清楚表达了不同看法之后，她就不再回复了。我不禁怀疑自己是否太过分了。我不想再打扰她，免得把事情弄得更糟糕。但是我真心希望，在她出国旅游之前就能解决这个问题。那几天，我常常想到她并为她祷告，不知道这件事会如何发展。不久之后的一天早晨，我到附近的公园散步时，竟巧遇这位朋友。当她看到我的时候，露出了难过的神情。我心想：“感谢主，使我得以和她面对面，好好地谈一谈。”我深深吸了一口气，带着温暖的笑容走向她。接下来，我们敞开心怀、坦诚沟通，彻底解决彼此间的分歧。

Sometimes when hurt or silence intrudes on our relationships, mending them seems out of our control. But as the apostle Paul says in his letter to the church at Ephesus, we are called to work for peace and unity through God’s Spirit, donning the garments of gentleness, humility, and patience as we seek God’s healing in our relationships. The Lord yearns for us to be united, and through His Spirit He can bring His people together—even unexpectedly when we go walking in the park.

有时，伤害或冷漠破坏了我们与他人的关系，我们似乎无法修复关系。但使徒保罗在写给以弗所教会的书信中，告诉我们要竭力保守圣灵所赐的和睦与合一，我们正是为此蒙召，而且当我们求上帝修补人际关系时，应当抱持温柔、谦卑和忍耐的态度。主耶稣要我们彼此合一，即使只是偶尔到公园散散步，祂也能藉由圣灵，将祂的子民连结在一起。

Have you experienced an unexpected encounter that revealed God working in a situation? How might you work toward peace and unity today?