Focus Scripture: John 17:9-11 (NLT)
My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are.
What does it mean to have unity? In today’s scripture, Jesus prayed to God for unity: “so that they may be one, as we are one”.Does unity here mean that the disciples are to be the first? Does it mean the disciples are to be one and the same? Or does it mean the disciples are to be like one another? This matter, of course, is open to further interpretation. But no matter how the word is translated, we are not talking about a casual, fleeting relationship; we are talking about an abiding unity that is essential to continuing the mission of Jesus, who will soon depart from the world.
How do we measure up as modern-day disciples? I submit that we fall short in countless ways, some of which affect our children – our precious children – who are now killing each other in record numbers. What if our vision were unified? Many examples come to mind; I will share only one.
Some years ago, I worked in a school district that was rapidly changing in its racial, economic, and social diversity. In part, this demographic shift can be attributed to large-scale gentrification in the nearby city. Developers demolished properties that once housed low-income residents to make room for high-priced condos and townhomes for the wealthy. The former residents of those low-income housing projects were then displaced. Consequently, some of them fled to the suburbs in search of decent places to live. Many did so with Section 8 federal vouchers, which alone carried a potential stigma. What if everyone had been united in the spirit of faith?
When these displaced people arrived in their new communities, they were not welcomed with open arms. In fact, many of them felt like exiles and found it very hard to sing the Lord’s songs in a strange land. These low-income newcomers faced the usual divides between the oppressors and the oppressed. Not only that, but these groups were not really talking to each other about their similarities and differences, their hopes and their dreams. With communication at an impasse, mistrust dominated.
In the process, the rich were pitted against the poor, the white against the other, and the language majority against the language minority. Children, once again, were affected as this mistrust carried over into the school system. I saw some of these children sink into hopelessness, anger, and even despair, which manifested as cynicism, apathy, and sometimes violence. And where there was no hope, the children languished. What if people in these receiving communities had been united as one in the spirit of unity?
In John 17:9-11, one of Jesus’ last earthly prayers, Jesus specifically asked God to protect the unity of his followers and to guard them against division. They were told to go into the world and be witnesses. They were also told that the world would be hostile to their message. And unfortunately, the world is still hostile to the message. Nothing has changed. There is still so much work to do, but without unity, the work is unlikely to be accomplished. We will need to embrace unity if we profess to be the church universal. And unity is possible only to the extent that we are one with each other.
Prayer
Sustaining God, I ask that you rekindle your love within my spirit and let it burn brightly so that others may know I am a Christian by that love. Amen.
From Reflective Renewal: Grace at the Crossroads
