Jesus’ prayer for unity

In John 17 are recorded some of Jesus’ prayers. One of those prayers is a prayer for unity where Jesus asked that those who believe in Him “may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you” (v. 21,

NIV ).

Now, it will come to you as no shock that we as Christians have almost exclusively failed at the sort of unity that Jesus prayed for us to have. In the approximately 2000-year existence of the Church, that is the body of believers, we have endured generations of bitter infighting and division which continue in one form or another right up to the present day.

Even now, during the COVID-19 pandemic,

Christians cannot seem to decide on a unified approach, with some deciding to follow the letter of the law handed down by provincial authorities, others deciding to follow the law while employing some creative interpretation, and still others deciding to challenge the law altogether.

Now I refuse to make a judgment on any of these approaches, for God alone knows what is right and will judge all we do on the Last Day (cf. Revelation 20:11-15), but I highlight them because they prove that we as believers continue to fail to fulfill the prayer for unity Jesus made.

The unfortunate effect of this behaviour, in my opinion, is ultimately a loss of perspective. Are we as believers doing the things Jesus called us to right now, or are we too busy arguing over what the “right response” is to COVID-19 restrictions?

Perhaps it is time to unite ourselves again around the mandate Jesus gave us: “‘love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind;’ and, ‘love your neighbor as yourself’” (Luke 10:27, NIV).

Pastor Roland Weisbrot is the Associate Pastor at Victory Lutheran Church