“Only a pipe dream?”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Saturday, February 17, 2024 John 17:20-26 (Forward, p. 19) CEV p. 1125
Over breakfast this morning we were discussing Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, and were wondering about his faith background. From our brief research, it became quite obvious that he considers himself a Christian. But then, the question arose, ‘how can someone claiming the name of Christ act in the way that he does?’ But then, the same question might be said of many people, both now and in times past. Many ‘supposed’ Christians have, over the centuries, behaved in ways that seem most inappropriate to us today.
But that then, poses yet another question, namely our assessments of what is appropriate for a Christian believer and what is not. Here Christians have varied greatly and have often been at odds—sometimes quite violently—over the answer. Over the centuries, Christians have rarely, if ever, exhibited or lived out the oneness that Jesus is praying for in today’s passage.
What Jesus is yearning for is the oneness that He and His heavenly Father already enjoy. Now, we can far too easily take our brokenness and disharmony for granted, our disunity, but according to Jesus the stakes are rather high:
a) On a personal, individual level, it means that we will lose out on seeing the glory that God has bestowed upon Him.
b) And, on a corporate level, a communal level, which is even more crucial and important, this disunity means that certain people, upon observing our antagonism and divisions, simply will not come to faith in Jesus Christ. Our unity is that important, and yet far too often we
simply take our present state for granted.
Interestingly, Jesus prays to the Father that this unity will one day become a reality. Is this simply a ‘pipedream’—or a future possibility and reality? And, come to think of it, are Jesus’ prayers ever for nothing? I think not. So, my question is this: how can we, you and I, fit into this prayer of Jesus?
Is there something that we can and should be doing? I really don’t have an answer for this, though I do have a couple of ideas about what it is not:
a) For one, I don’t think that the God-ordained unity that Jesus is speaking of comes from ‘watering down’ our faith. I think that sticking to, maintaining, and passing on ‘the faith of our fathers’ (and mothers) is crucial and foundational.
b) And secondly, I don’t think that it means that we necessarily agree on every single thing or that we never have issues or problems between members. We certainly don’t see this in the early church, and it is probably unrealistic to expect it today either.
So, what is now a rather fleeting or transitory sense of unity is God’s desire and plan, and so, just as much, it should be ours as well. And, apparently, it is His plan, not just in heaven or just when Jesus returns, but right now as well, for nothing less than the salvation of the world, our present world, is at stake. So, let us seek it as well and pray as to what we might do to assist in its realization.
Forward notes: “The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one” (verse 22).
“As I reflect on this passage, I am struck by the depth of love and togetherness that Jesus desires for his followers. He prays that we may be in harmony with one another, not just superficially but at the core of our being.
“Yet, we live in a world plagued by division, conflict, and hatred. It can be easy to become discouraged and lose sight of the togetherness that Jesus desires. But this passage reminds us that our harmony is not something we can achieve on our own. It is a gift from God, given to us through the Holy Spirit. We need the help of the Holy Spirit to guide and transform us from the inside out.
“By seeking a deep relationship with Jesus, opening ourselves up to understanding others’ perspectives, and actively working for reconciliation and healing, we can move toward the kind of connection and agreement that Jesus desires. In this way, we can be powerful witnesses to the love and truth of the gospel and help bring hope and unity to a world in need.”
Moving Forward: “What will you do today to be an example of Christ’s hope in the world?”