May 10th Reflection by Bill Lynch

John 17:20-26

”I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. “Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Reflection
Being one doesn't mean that we are all the same. We aren't all the same. I'm as different from anyone else as they are different from another. This reminds me of the passage on the various parts of the body. We are all part of something bigger than ourselves. In this we come together to be one. But the one is something else.

In this "one" we have something in common. We are one with each other together as a whole. We come to God in Jesus as many parts with a common denominator... Jesus. We come to believe in Jesus and faith grows. We come from different personalities, different backgrounds and even different thinking and believe that we are saved through Jesus. We unite in the life, ministry, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus for the sake of each of our lives and the lives of all people.

We are "one" through Jesus. And we are "one" in our love for each other. But there are some who refuse the love of another. There are some that are stubborn and insist upon their own way. There are some that are irritable and resentful. There are some that rejoice in the pain of another. There are some that are arrogant, boastful, envious and rude. And at sometime or another we are all party to some or all of these characteristics with each other. These that choose this are not "one." You can't recognize Jesus in this.

But, Jesus is there for these as well. Jesus is there to call and show the love given to him before the foundation of the world, so that we may believe in him. We need Jesus to be "one." Without Jesus and on our own we can't be "one." Without Jesus we try to be our own "one" and are lost in selfish pride and selfish righteousness..

People can come together, that's for sure. But the "one" is only through Jesus, our brother, our Savior, our flesh and blood, our God. In this "One" there is love.

Prayer
Father, bring me together with Jesus with those you give to me this day that we may be "one." If we unite in the love of Jesus, may there be belief and unity in our commonality in the love of Jesus. If that person chooses not to unite in the love of Jesus, give me the strength and passion to continue to love them but also the fortitude to move on in your will and your way to unite with Jesus in another relationship. We are all different and unique in a wonderful way. May our differences draw us together as one in you as our God and Savior... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen