v 21. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
The heartfelt unity of all who follow Jesus is the subject of this prayer. And if I’m honest, I don’t see it being answered in the everyday life of the Christian Church down the ages. That is not merely sad, it is utterly tragic. Sorry to be controversial in a devotional reading. How do you regard the differences that divide Christians? Do you accept them as a fact of life, just to be tolerated, so that we get on in our small corner and leave others to do the same? Should love call us to do something different?
Are denominations simply a matter of ‘They do things the way I like to do things’. Or are there serious issues that we stick at as matters of principle; ‘We are right and they are wrong.’ Maybe, we have inherited different outlooks and preferences from our families, or we have aligned with a particular church because our friends went there.
What does the matter of unity mean to you in your locality? Does that unity need to be expressed in a visible fashion? There are times when I wonder if the visible disunity of Christians is a real hindrance to faith when those outside the church look at us. Are there perhaps vested interests in buildings, traditions and leadership status that keep Christians apart?
What are your feelings about working actively to promote some form of practical and visible unity amongst Jesus followers in a locality – and is that what Jesus is praying about here?
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