What does it mean to be one?
As I study this prayer of Christ for his disciples and believers to come I am struck with the specifics of his prayer for us. In this verse particularly he prays that we would be one, but what does this really mean? Is the clue found in the phrase that proceeds this. Jesus asks that we would be one just as "you and I are one." And why is it so important that we are one? The answer to this second question seems rather obvious to me. Jesus stated earlier in chapter 13 that the world would know that we are his followers by our love for one another (v. 35). I think this actually gives us a clue as to something we are supposed to be one in. We are supposed to be one in our love. I continue to tell the teens that love is doing what is right and best for others. Imagine what church would be like if we tried to do what is right and best for each other? I think it would be quite amazing, and yet the problem that arises is figuring out what is the right and best thing to be done in a given situation. Another issue involved in this is that doing what is right can be a whole lot easier to focus on then doing what is best.
To continue with answering the first question I think about what Jesus must have meant when he said "Just as you and I are one." Obviously we cannot be one in the sense that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one, but I think we can gain insight from this this union. Jesus and God (and the Holy Spirit) are one in personhood and they are also one in purpose and mission. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life." I would not say this is God's entire purpose of existence, but it is his purpose through Jesus. The mission being that the world would come to know God through Jesus. We have been given this mission as well. Jesus' prayer in this chapter is for this very purpose. His mission continues through us. God's mission was accomplished through Jesus because His mission was Jesus' mission. So it will be accomplished through us. Not only must we individually have the same purpose and mission as God and Jesus but we must have the same purpose and mission as a collective group of individuals. Paul goes through great length in trying to get us to understand that the church is an organism. We have to act as one body!
I also think the body of Christ needs to be one in love. The trinity is definitely one in love. One in love for each member of the trinity itself and one in love for the world. I stated earlier that being one involved loving one another. Each person in the body needs to try and do what is right and best for one another, but we should also be one in love for our world. What does this mean? It means that as a church we need to emulate God's love. He was willing to sacrifice his son so that the world would know of his love. We as a church have to be willing to make great sacrifices as well.
When we as individuals with different personalities, tastes, likes and dislikes can come together with the same purpose, mission and love, and keep these in the forefront of our thoughts as we work together, God will do some great and significant things through us. It is because of our oneness in these three areas that we will be able to overcome the conflicts that arise due to individualism. Our love for God, our love for one another and our love for the world allows us to seek a position of unified effort as we seek to share God's love with the world.
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