The Fourth of July is upon us again and we it is a time of picnics, fireworks, and celebration! We sing “Happy Birthday” to ourselves as Americans and we again both celebrate and are reminded of our nation’s birth and life.
There are many commercial reminders of this national holiday that offer us deals, deals, and more deals for all sorts of things – cars, furniture, clothing (and this weekend probably marks the beginning of summer sales and move toward, shall I say it, the “back to school” emphasis in retail), and a host of other items. But, there is one commercial that I think really captures the importance of this holiday.
It is the ad council commercial entitled, “I Am An American.” In it, people of different ages and races say the simple statement, “I am an American.” Somewhere in the commercial, I believe at the end, we see our nation’s creed, “E Pluribus Unum” which is translated, “Out of many, one.”
That creed has been in practice since 1776 and one of the threads of our history has been the working out of that creed in times of war and in times of peace; in times of plenty and in times of want; in times of tranquility and in times of tumult. We have been challenged in many ways, politically, religiously, racially, economically, and educationally, to insure that “out of many” our nation is “one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.” Easier said than done, isn’t it?
E Pluribus Unum could also describe the church of Jesus Christ because there is a biblical basis for it in John 17 that contains Jesus’ prayer for unity of all believers. We read in verse 21, “My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father-that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me.”
The Biblical doctrine and belief of unity is a key belief in our church. We believe that when you are saved you are a part of the church no matter what the sign says on the door and that the church is not a matter of this denomination or that denomination but of all who claim Jesus is Lord and is living out that proclamation the very best they can with the help and power of the Holy Spirit. But, like trying to live out our national creed, easier said than done.
But, it was Jesus’ prayer and on this holiday and this communion Sunday, we need to reflect on what He actually prayed because the unity we must seek to live out in our community and with one another is a specific kind of unity.
It is a unity of relationship. The unity for which Jesus prayed, “that they will be one just as you and I are one, Father,” is a unity of relationship that Jesus demonstrated during His life and ministry here on earth.
We get glimpses of this unity from time to time through the gospel accounts in places such as Luke 2:49 where he responds to his worried parents, “You should have known that I would be in my Father’s house.” Or in John 10:34 where He says to an enraged group of societal leaders, “But if I do his work, believe in what I have done, even if you don’t believe in me. The you will realize that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”
Jesus’ relationship with God the Father unified them together so that the Father’s purpose of forgiveness and plan of salvation through the Son, Jesus Christ, would be accomplished. This unity of relationship was strengthened and developed in those moments when Jesus would withdraw from his followers, the crowds, and even his enemies to be alone with the Father in prayer.
It is a unity of purpose. “That just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us” is a statement as to the why of unity for which Jesus prays. The unity for which Jesus prays is a unity that is designed to accomplish the purposes of God in us.
There was unity of purpose 228 years ago when the Declaration of Independence was signed and the church bells tolled throughout Philadelphia. Though the signers were of different backgrounds and regions of the colonies they were in agreement that the King and England had gone too far and it was time for a new nation.
Unity of purpose for the church is in Christ’s mission of salvation and in Christ’s message of repentance and forgiveness. As such, it is a defined unity because since it is God’s purpose, there are boundaries, or definition, to it.
There are Biblical boundaries. The unity for which Jesus prayed stays within the Biblical boundaries regarding beliefs that are central to our faith.
There are ethical boundaries. The unity for which Jesus died and rose again has boundaries regarding our behavior and practices.
Finally it is a unity of a certain outcome. There is an outcome to this unity, a very important and practical one, “that the world will believe you sent me.”
A song that is often sung is “They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love.” This love comes through this unity. And this unity comes through this love. But when the unity is not there, the love that expresses the unity is weakened or simply a façade that hides disunity.
The unity that must be a part of our lives and our church is a unity that will influence those who see it toward their own commitment to Jesus Christ. So this unity seeks a certain outcome. Which leads me to ask this morning as we prepare for communion, “Does our community see this unity in us? Does it hear it in our language about one another as well as other people? Does it see it in our actions and behaviors day in and day out?”
Jesus prayed for this unity. The Holy Spirit makes this unity possible. Do we want it?
This prayer for unity comes after those moments that we now remember as communion when even then; there was no unity, as Judas who sat, as one of the twelve would betray him. Let us resolve to fulfill Jesus’ prayer so that “out of many, one” would not just be our national creed, but our heartfelt practice so that others will find faith and life in Christ, because they see it in us. Amen.
