I in them and you in me—that they may be completely one, so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me.
John 17:23 NET
On the night Jesus was betrayed, he prayed for his disciples and those of us who would come to know him later. And one of the things he prayed for was our unity. That we would be one, just as he and the Father were one.
So, how unified is his Church? There are an estimated 40,000 different denominations in the world today. Many of these divisions are the result of disputes. There are disputes within denominations and even within individual local churches. We are anything but unified.
A Unified Church
But Jesus’ prayer here is not just that we would not be fighting among ourselves. His prayer is that we experience a unity that resembles that found within the Trinity. Achieving the oneness that is found in the Trinity is beyond us. But we can strive toward being one in heart, mind, and purpose.
Jesus’ prayer for us is that we would go beyond a casual Sunday morning relationship. That we would spend time with each other, sharing our lives together, studying and talking about God’s word, and praying together.
While not the only reason for us to strive for unity, our witness to the world around us is a significant reason. When the world looks at us, what do they see? A divided and squabbling church? A church that is but little different than a social club? Or do they see something in us unlike anything else in the world?
It was the latter that brought me to the Lord. I grew up in a church environment that was generally peaceful. But it was just something we did on Sundays and Wednesday nights. Then, I met a group of young people who had something different. They had come together from all over the country. But the fellowship they enjoyed together drew me in and brought me to the Lord.
There is not much that any one of us can do to heal the divisions that exist in the global church today. But we can set an example in our own local community of believers, demonstrating the love of Christ for our brothers and sisters. And we can determine to speak words that would build up the church rather than divide it. So that the world may know the love that God has for them.
