That They All May Be One

 (Note: still searching for the answer to having the daily slice appear the same day I compose it)

 John 17: 20-26

Jesus Prays for All Believers

²⁰ “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; ²¹ that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. ²² And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: ²³ I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

²⁴ “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵ O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. ²⁶ And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

The prayer for unity, harmony and love uttered by Jesus was echoed in the early '60's by the dying beloved Pope John XXIII, "Ut unum sint!" "That they be one!" Work and prayer for unity over the past 60 years has yielded some progress, but fragmentation continues to plague Christians and the people of this planet in more ways than belief and practice.  The Evil Spirit continues to sow seed of division in all arenas, the most obvious these days in the Russian/Ukrainian war. We don;t seem to learn. Division goes back to the rebellion of that group of angels lead by Lucifer,  yet as we have just celebrated the Victory of Life over Death and await the Holy Spirit on Sunday at Pentecost, we have to believe that victory over division  is inevitable. When?  God only knows, but we can contribute to this longed-for unity by doing the best we can to live the way Jesus taught us and encourage others to do the same. Let us spend time with these verses and absorb them as fully as we can so that all our dealings with others will be colored by them.

Bro. Rene