Jesus prays for unity.

And another thing!

In John 17:23, Jesus prays “that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

On the last night of his earthly life, Jesus could be doing anything. Jesus chooses to take that time praying for us. Jesus prays for the people around him, and Jesus prays for the people who will believe through their witness. Jesus is praying for the whole church—for us.

What does he pray for? He prays for unity. Jesus prays that we might be one, like God is one. Why?

Well, we’re not good at it. If the church is going to be united, it’s got to be an act of God. Christians have managed to break the Jesus movement into denominations and doctrines. We fracture based on worship styles and personality clashes.

At our best, we are a stained glass window kind of unity. We’ve got our own colors and shapes. Some of us are larger than others. But we come together, needing each piece to form an amazing picture of God. At our best, we unite to serve others and praise God. Sometimes the divisions drop away, just for an instant, and we see what it will be like when God breaks down the dividing walls once and for all.

The unity that Jesus prays for isn’t just for us. It’s for the world. Unity is a sign that others can see and know that Jesus is from God and that God’s love is for them. When Christians fight among ourselves, our witness isn’t as strong. That Bible truth shows itself in conversation all the time.

I don’t know how to fix any of this. I have my own convictions and allegiances that would make it hard for me to be anything but the Lutheran I am. Most of us would find it hard to change the color and shape of how we understand God. That said, I’m still going to pray for unity. Maybe that will mean everyone will come to see things the way I do; maybe it will mean that God will change my understanding. Prayer is risky business that way. But praying that God’s will be done is part of the risk we take.

Let’s let God unite us in taking risks for the gospel. Let’s pray for the things we don’t know how to achieve. Let’s take the chance of following Jesus, knowing that he’s been praying for us for longer than we can imagine.