Psalm 133:1 NIV
How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!
Unity (Yachad- Hebrew) can be translated as altogether. The word unity or unify is often used in different settings. I often hear the word unity used in the church setting. Jesus, in John chapter 17:20-23, prayed for his disciples and future disciples who will believe in him to become one. As I read Jesus’ prayer asking God to allow all his followers to become one, it leads me to ask, what was the purpose and vision that Jesus saw as he prayed that prayer?
I for one, believe the unity or oneness that he prayed for is not how many church leaders or clergy use it. Jesus in his prayer focuses on the spiritual connection that as a Christian, we must strive to have with God as our source of strength. “I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (Verse-23, NIV). As I study the context of Jesus’ prayer being use by some preachers, I hear conformity, which is described in the oxford dictionary as compliance, with standards, rules, laws; loyalty to one group process or party affiliation. The unity that Jesus is calling for you and I is beyond agreeing or go along with the crowd or a person or idea in the name of spiritual unity which is conformity. I believe Jesus is asking for us to be one just as he was one with God while living in the flesh. Jesus was able to maintain oneness with God despite the trials he was facing in a society where he was not liked. How was he able to remain one with God in the human flesh? He relied on God’s commands as his source instead of his own judgement (John 5:30), he defended the word of God (Mathew 4:4, John 10:34-38), he lived the word of God (John 4: 4-42), he stayed in prayer (Mark 1:35-41) and he taught his disciples by example how to stay in unity with God ( Mark chapter 4, John chapter 4, Luke 7, Luke 19:1-10, and etc..). These are just few examples of how Jesus remained one with God and taught his disciples to do the same. When was the last time you agreed or followed a person or group for the sake of unity or peace to conform to their ways that has a form of God’s oneness but are closer to group think? Let’s strive to not conform to human standards but to examine all things to make sure they are aligned with Jesus ‘(1 John 2:3-6; 4:1-6). Apostle Paul is a perfect example of an Apostle who strived not to conform but transformed himself and others with the purpose of wining souls through the unity of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:10; 2:11-14, Acts chapter 17, etc.). Let us strive to reach the unity-oneness through Christ Jesus allowing the Holy Spirit that he has given us as our counselor.
