One in Unity

"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."

"I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one."

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me."

"May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."

Unity is a rare thing. In a day and age where we have more ways of communicating with each other, we remain dis-unified. Why? There is something about the human spirit that desires independent and freedom. We dream of freedom, even in places where we have more of it than others. We actively search for barriers and attempt to break them down, whether they are social situations and ethics or moral positions and beliefs. Yet this world without walls is not unified. This world with more ways of communicating struggles to understand itself. There are more messages about life today, then ever before. We have access to more cultures and ways of thinking than our ancestors and founders did. With all of this access, all of this knowledge, we still come up short. Unification takes more than breaking down barriers, more than tragedies, more than common enemies and more than like-minded allies. This world needs what Jesus prayed for in the book of John, unity.

What did Jesus base this unity on? Was it on a common mission, to serve the underprivileged? Perhaps a business model to keep churches functioning? A twelve-step program to heal addicts of their vices? No. Jesus didn't base his model on steps, he based it on an event. The event of his Father's love. This event, as we read in the rest of John chapter 17, started at creation and continued beyond the prayers of Jesus. It is such an event, one going beyond our beginning and past our end that can bring us together.

At what price? The ultimate price of love is sacrifice. As Jesus demonstrated, the Father set the price high- showing the value of his love for us- then paid the price, showing the power of his love and the desire for us to participate in his love. He made it all possible, so we could be unified in him, just as he and his son were unified with each other.

Even though we like the idea of unity, it is still a foreign concept. It's hard to live out. Even when we try to function as a team, it is easy for the team to break down and lose focus. It only takes one person giving up. The greatest examples of this happen in the sports world. Within minutes we can watch a team self-destruct and turn on each other. American Football is a great example of this. Watch any college game, or even professional, and when things go wrong, players turn on each other. They ask simple questions, and make simple statements, often followed by colorful language. It's a wonder those teams stay together. Many of them don't. At the end of a season, teams are deconstructed and rebuilt. They look for more team players, better talent and a new vision. But for many professional teams talent, vision and even a few team-minded players won't be enough to unify what happens during competition. They are too busy fighting with each other or against each other to have a common cause.

Again, I'd like to ask why. Why can't we keep it together and look at a bigger picture? Pride? Ambition? Self-glorification? The answer is yes. We are often too consumed with ourselves and our performance to think of others. We turn those who could be our friends and allies into enemies and unhealthy competition. Even in the 'Christian' world, where we talk about not competing for attendees, we still end up doing it. And the more we give in to our marketing strategies the easier it is to lose focus on Jesus prayer, "That all of them may be one." It was never Jesus desire for his followers to compete for his affection. His love is freely given. It's not based on merit, the work we do, or the number of people we tell about Jesus. The love of the Father is accessible to all.

It is this love that unifies us. Being loved covers a multitude of wounds. It shapes us in profound ways. It transforms who we are as we bask in its warmth. It is this love that should drive the Christian message. It is this love that drove the early church to tell others, even though they were threatened with death and imprisonment. It is this love that prompted Jesus to pray for the future of all believers. He could have spent that time praying for a host of other things, but he pointed back to what was important, that we remain in the difficult times, not fleeing from them, being loved by the Father in the midst of that's happening around us. It is this peace from chaos, this love for others, that drives all who follow Christ forward. It is this love that never grows dim and never will, even if it leaves our buildings of worship, because love isn't about a place, it's about a people. The people of God.

Who are his people? We are. All people. All are welcome to come and be unified in his love. This love overcomes all barriers, it does not break them. This love flows through open doors, it does not smash them open. This love seeps through cracks, finding a way where there appears to be none. This is the love of God. It hopes. It perseveres. It bides it's time. It does not hurry. It never considers an effort wasted. It always believes, trusts and obeys. This obedience to following God transformed the ancient Roman world, but it wasn't through strict adherence to the law. It was through love that transcends all laws, ethics, positions and circumstances.

This unity can conquer all.. This unity can exist. It can make us one, even as we come from many traditions, cultures and places around the world. Inspite of our failed attempts at communication, this love continues, silently bringing life to places that are empty and dead. This love has restored many to life. It has revived many cities and peoples. It can reach into our lives and heal us from all the cuts, scrapes, bruises and scars we've accumulated along the way. If only we choose to remain in it, and the power of His name.