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.
˜ John 17:20-21a
In this text, Jesus continues his prayer, the longest of all his prayers in the Gospels, and asks God for an intimate closeness between him and all believers "that they may all be one." It is always fascinating to me that in that time and place, the Messiah did not come as a king or a great warrior. He didn't speak of power and war and the conquering of enemies. He came to earth as a poor man who spoke about compassion and relationship, which are things modern minds find familiar, but ancient minds may have found confusing. If this Messiah has come to save us, they may have thought, then how does he expect to overthrow the Roman Empire with only talk of love and connection?
In 2001, the Community of St. John Baptist helped found an orphanage in Cameroon, West Africa, called the Good Shepherd Home. The motto of the home, which cares for more than a hundred children on a regular basis, is "May we all be one." You can see that motto all around the home on plaques and painted on walls. A sign above the main door features these words with a painting of Jesus holding little children on his lap.
Jesus' prayer shows us what God wants from us. His words and actions in the Gospels make it clear that God yearns for us to live in peace as one human family, loving one another as he loves us. Episcopal Relief & Development's work is grounded in interfaith and intercultural collaboration. They work with core Episcopal and Anglican partners, in addition to other faith-based and secular partners, using an approach that is grounded in compassion and respectful of the dignity of all human beings. Transcending theological and political differences builds a stronger force of change than division and exclusion ever could.
Reflect: Can you picture a world in which divisions have ceased and we consider every human to be our family member?
This Lenten Meditation can be found at Episcopal Relief and Development