“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.”

This famous quote from St. Augustine of Hippo has long intrigued me. My soul has found rest in God again and again, yet stirs anew with discontent.

Today I noticed for the first time the plural words in the quote. God made us for himself and our heart is restless. Not our hearts are, but our heart is. Could it be that my heart is restless because it is not yet one with other hearts? Together, our heart must find its rest in God. Perhaps I cannot bring my heart, unconnected from others into the presence of God. Those I love come with me in one heart. Our heart is restless.

God does not offer our heart a solitude in which to rest, but the dynamic love of a triune God. The same God who says in Genesis, “Let us make man after our image and likeness” says to us, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him.” (John 14:23)

Jesus prays, “That they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me and I in You, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me.” (John 17:21)  How in the world can we expect our nation to be one if we who call ourselves Christians cannot live in unity?

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, make us one. Help our heart find its rest in you.