“Last week, I was privileged to travel to Oklahoma in the United States, at the invitation of YouVersion, for an event called “Behind the Mission”. I have volunteered on the Product Support Team for the last 14 years, and I currently serve as a Coach, overseeing Team Leaders and volunteers from around the world.”

The days that followed were full of activity. We toured the YouVersion offices and explored the Bible Impact experience, which showed how much of the work we do behind the scenes touches lives across the world. One moment made this vivid: an interactive map on a large screen lit up each time someone opened the app in a different country. Two things impacted me on this trip, and I want to share them here.

The first was the realisation that I am part of something bigger than myself. It is easy to live inside our own bubble, seeing only the small portion of work in front of us. Seeing what others contribute changed that. As Helen Keller is credited with saying, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." The little I do, combined with the little that others do, adds up to tremendous impact. Paul captures this in his letter to the Corinthians: "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ." And in verse 27: "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it" (1 Corinthians 12:12, 27).

Learning what my colleagues in the localisation team do was a good example of this. They go beyond translating words and pay close attention to the nuances of each language. Spanish, for instance, is not spoken the same way in Spain as it is in Mexico or Argentina, and a translation that feels natural in one place can sound foreign in another. Their care helps people receive God's Word in the language of their own hearts. I also met those in Spiritual Support and learned how they pray for and support users spiritually. It made me realise that the app is a vehicle. The real purpose is reaching people and helping them engage with God's Word, ultimately pointing them to Jesus.

That brings me to the second thing that impacted me: the power of unity. Anyone who has read the Biblepraise newsletter for a while will know that the unity of the body of Christ is close to my heart. During our time together, we sat around a conference table and talked. There were moments of laughter and banter, and moments that were solemn, with tears running down several cheeks. A common theme among those of us who had travelled was that we did not feel like strangers. We felt like family. In fact, while one of my fellow coaches was remarking on how welcome we all felt, she suddenly burst out singing "We Are Family", the 1979 hit by Sister Sledge, and we all dissolved into laughter. It was a light-hearted moment, but it captured exactly how we felt.

That is what the body of Christ should feel like. Whether you walk into a church in Lagos, New York, London or Sydney, you should feel welcome, as though you are home. Paul puts it this way: "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household" (Ephesians 2:19).

Several scriptures came to mind as I reflected on the experience: "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore" (Psalm 133:1-3). It was indeed a pleasant experience. Unity mattered so much to Jesus that His prayer for it was recorded for us: "I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one" (John 17:11). Paul echoes this in his instruction to the Ephesians: "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:3).

As a global church, we are diverse. Some hold strong convictions on matters that others give less attention to. What ultimately binds us together is Jesus and the work He accomplished for us on the cross of Calvary. This is why it saddens me to see Christians publishing damaging posts about fellow believers on social media. They do this because they do not realise that when one part of the body hurts, the whole body hurts.

Our energy is better spent on the mission we have been given: "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). That mission is carried out by many hands, in many places, mostly unseen.

Looking back, two things stand out from this trip. I am part of something bigger than myself, and the unity of the body of Christ is something worth guarding and celebrating. The trip also gave me the opportunity to form friendships that I will cherish for a long time. My prayer is that we will each remember the part we play, honour the part others play, and keep the unity of the Spirit as we do it.