Even As

08.15.15

John 17.11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. – Jesus

Jesus never said or did a thing that was apart from His agenda: the Lord was on mission and never deviated from that agenda. Jesus always said what the Father communicated to Him to say and always did what the Father told Him to do. Jesus and the Father are One. They are one in heart, mind, spirit, and agenda all to save the sorry asses that inhabit this earth.

On the night on which He was going to be arrested, and tried, and subsequently crucified, Jesus prayed the above prayer for the sakes of you and me, and everyone else who has ever named, or will ever name His Name. (You can read His prayer in its entirety in John 17.)

Interestingly to me, Jesus prayed that we believers be one as He and the Father are one. (That’s a tall order for a bunch of sorry asses…) Jesus prayed this because He understood the importance of oneness. Jesus knew then during His earthly days, as He does now in His kingly days, that the mission of the church is to move the message of relationship with God forward in unity…not uniformity. Outwardly, I think a lot of us would agree with that; but inwardly I think a lot of us would say: we can’t move the mission forward unless we do it our way, or, my way.

Jesus wasn’t praying about style. WE think He was, but He wasn’t. Jesus was praying for a bunch of sorry-ass losers for whom He was going to give His life in a very short while. And we continue to argue style, expression, or the color of the carpet in our buildings.

Oneness is the outcome of love and the fruit of growing closer to God. The closer we grow to God together, the closer we grow together because of God. The focus of oneness is Him, but it never excludes the one next to me (or across town) who focuses on God with the same intensity, but a different expression than I do. Who gives a rat’s bohiney what color the carpet is?? I’m to love, no matter the color of anything; color isn’t the issue, love is.

The test for me is to love. The test for me is to ignore the expression but adore the focus. If one has to worship with blue carpet rather than grey carpet-tile so be it. Let’s both focus on the One who prayed: that they may be one, even as we are one. If it was that important for Jesus to pray it, let’s fall on our faces in worship on whatever carpet (or any other preference) and obey it.

Jesus, it starts with a petty sorry-ass like me. I need Your help. Amen.