oneness joins two
I desire oneness with you, Jesus. I understand you want the same with me. You prayed for that oneness during the days before your death. To be one with you would mean I would faultlessly understand your will. I could understand your mysteries. I would perfectly walk in your ways every day. If I were one with you, Lord, your thoughts would be my thoughts. Never again would I have to wonder which path to take. Never again would I be plagued by doubt or sin that now defeats me. If I were one with you, my personality would meld with yours and yours with me. I would demonstrate love, joy, peace, patience, humility, and hope everyday.
So if I want this union and you want this union, what prevents it from happening? Why do I profess to want oneness with you and yet pull away? Why do I insist on maintaining my separateness as an individual driven by my own pride? Why do I insist on doing things my way as if your way is not good enough? Why do I continually seek after my own way, rather than seeking yours? Perhaps I’m afraid of oneness. I’m afraid my identity will be swallowed into nothing and I will cease to exist. Remind me that oneness does not strip one of identity or uniqueness. Rather, oneness joins two in the pursuit of one goal, one purpose. This I can understand, and this I seek.
What is even more difficult for me in these days is your prayer that your followers be one. You prayed that we might “be brought to complete unity.” Your desire seemed to be that the world be drawn to you and to your love because of the oneness they see in your followers. This is painfully difficult for me because there are some Christians I oppose. There are some who call themselves Christian that make me shutter. I desire to be one with you because you are perfect and I want to be so. How can I desire oneness with others who, like me, fall far short of perfection?
Further, what is the basis of this unity with other believers? Sometimes, we can’t agree on even the most basic theological principles. Lord, I truly wish the church could live in oneness, for I know that our division often causes non-believers to turn their head in disgust. Forgive us this holy week. May believers from all over the globe set aside their differences and petty theological disputes and agree together on the Lordship of Jesus. May we kneel as one and accept the atoning blood of Jesus. May we all together understand our unworthiness before God and humbly accept the sacrifice that makes possible our oneness with you. Amen.
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