Day 7- 10/4 Oneness

10/4- Saturday- John 17:11- I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.

Bonhoeffer: “Christian brotherhood is not an ideal that we must realize; it is rather a reality created by God in Christ which we may participate.”

Thoughts: Jesus’ great prayer before his arrest involved our being one.  Perhaps he prayed this because He knew it would be hard for us to be one.  There are many different denominations today- formed by differences in culture, viewpoints, and sin/pride from the past.  Yet, there is also a sense in which different denominations know deep down we need to work together.  So food banks, care for housing needs, medical help for the needy, community worship at Thanksgiving, disaster relief are often the cooperative work of many different denominations.  The ideal would be that there would/should be no differences.  In heaven that will be true.  There will not be different rooms for Christians- but rather large circles around the throne.  Some get frustrated in the local church that we do not naturally agree on everything.  But this is what Bonhoeffer calls a false idealism. Brotherhood and sisterhood is a reality brought about despite our differences not because of our agreement on every issue.  The appeals in scripture is not to divide but to love and to be one-physically. Consumerism calls us to find what I agree with that best fits me.  There are people who church hop to the best preacher, the best program, and this changes regularly.  But the person who learns to fulfill their calling where God has placed them, being missionaries to their own fellowship community are healthier.  The church is healthier too when people are working together to be one instead of forming small groups to win an issue. We are to be one as Jesus is one with the Father.  There is a difference between the Father and the Son but there is some amazing oneness there too.

Prayer: Help me to seek oneness with you and oneness with others Lord.    

7/17/13- The Basis for Oneness

 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord,one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:2-6)

Thoughts: Some say the basis for human unity and oneness is that we have one world and we are all in this together.  But the one world idea or one life raft also can lead to reasons for fighting over scare resources (cf. "Life of Pi"). Some try to organize or politicize the world into oneness- (like the European Union or U.N.).  While such concepts are noble, they usually do not bring anything but the figurehead of unity.  Others would say we have common enemies that should unite us- namely sickness and death.  Others pick smaller enemies- like ignorance or barbarianism (as we define it).  But such ideas originate with cultural pride.  Ignorance, savagery, have often been labels used by the practitioners of Colonialism, Communism, Nazism, and others who elevate their cultural pride with no solid reason than their own circular reasoning and selfish pride that degrade other human beings as valueless.
Others are a bit closer saying that the basis for unity is human love.  But, as seen today, many have problems defining real love.  If love is only sexuality, love can turn into lust, selfishness, and harm to self or others (as in STDs or adultery's destruction of family and harm to children).  Love and peace sound great, but they are empty words without a deeper basis.
Christians have the deep secret to unity found in the love and person of the One who gives life.  But we are still sinners who have a problem with listening to directions from this Creator and not dividing into little factions who think they alone have the truth.  In heaven, the invisible church will be seen for what it truly should be on earth- people of every country, tribe, language and culture (Revelation 5:9; 14:6).  The potential for human unity is found in the religion that promotes loving neighbor, turning the other cheek, and sacrifice (even more than inner peace).  There is a tie that binds hearts in Christian love that transcends all nations.  In fact Christianity is the only religion, the only philosophy that has adherents in every country int he world.  Surely this means the Christian faith has proven its ability to draw people from around the world together around a common faith.  Faith can be a God-given basis for oneness.  

Prayer:  May we as believers be one as you are one.  

Other thought: "I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony... I'd like to give the world a coke and keep it company...It's the real thing."  Common likes/loves can be a basis for harmony- but coke is not enough.  This idea does point to a bigger idea that if we could commonly love God- it would unite us.