John 17:20-26

When we were first married, we were house parents for ten emotionally disturbed and juvenile delinquent boys, the label used at the time. We learned quickly that part of living, including family and other relationships, involves conflict. After all, not everyone feels good all the time or agrees on a given subject. There will be bursts of selfishness, over-inflated emotions, and sensitive feelings. It can create difficult times. We kept trying to see the best in each boy, not focusing on their problems or weaknesses. We decided that we would “keep our eyes on the donut, and not on the hole!”

We, as God’s church or as God’s people, can expect no less. It is so easy to look at others’ faults, the places where we disagree, and then judge them, puffing ourselves up and putting them down. These difficult and trying times can be minimized or resolved if we “Keep our eyes on the donut and not on the hole!”

John 17 records Jesus praying for us and for our unity. It is a most revealing prayer. We are eavesdropping on an intimate exchange of conversation between Jesus and God, the Father. And guess what! Jesus is praying for us, that we might be one with other believers, “so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” It is a prayer for Christian unity. Jesus believes that if we are one with our brothers and sisters in Christ, then unbelievers will become believers! This happens, according to Jesus, when we become one with God; intimately connected with other believers as God and Jesus are one.

Ole and Lena were driving their car through the Great Smoky Mountains, enthralled with its beauty.
They parked their car by a stand that rented bicycles built for two and, in an impulsive moment, decided to rent a bicycle and ride to the top of a nearby mountain. Ole got on in front with Lena behind. On the way up, Ole was struggling. Finally, he stood on the pedals, huffing and puffing; sweat pouring down his face until they reached the top. At the top of the mountain, Ole looked at Lena: “Oh boy that was tough. I didn’t think that we were going to make it!” to which Lena replied, “Oh, I know, Ole, I was so scared that we were going to roll backwards that I had the brakes on the whole way.” That is how it is when Christians cannot get along. They may be headed in the same direction, but they are working at cross purposes.

So how do we become one with other Christians, even if we do not totally agree with them? We keep our eyes on the donut, and not the hole. That means we endeavor to focus not on what divides us but on what unites us. And through practicing the Christian principles of

· Holding one another up
· Using our time for positive actions and words
· Watching our tongue
· Understanding why and how others do things
· Prayer

We will become the people Jesus prayed we would become: “May they 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.”

Prayer: Amen! Amen! May we fulfill Christ’s prayer for us!

Song: “We Are All One in Christ” ELW 643