May 16, 2010

Why Jesus prayed that we be one: Of all the things Jesus might have asked God for on our behalf — of all the things — it was that we "may be one" ... that we may be "completely one" or as it is the Greek "completed one"

Paul and Silas and their jailor
It seems to me that we caught a glimpse of this kind unity in the Acts story of Paul and Silas and their jailor. We might have expected Paul and Silas to escape when they had the opportunity and never mind the outcome for their jailor. After-all he wasn't one of them — he was their jailer — their enemy. Yet Paul and Silas treated him as if he was one of them. They chose the way of unity — the way of Jesus' prayer. And we know what a wonderful outcome it was for Paul and Silas and for their jailor and for his household! Aand then imagine what the ripple effect might have been — the jailor's neighbors, the children's playmates Ð how many others would have been affected in a positive way? So when Jesus prayed that we believers might all be one - was he praying for a ripple effect?

Granddad's ripples
When I was a kid growing up in Grande Prairie Alberta, I lived just 5 blocks from my maternal grandparents and so I spent many happy hours with them. Granddad had left Ireland as a young lad because his parents were too poor to feed him. All his life he worked hard to make a living and all his life he was generous. Amazing things grew in his garden: beautiful gladiolas, abundant sweet-peas, huge potatoes and the biggest turnips in the neighborhood. Whatever Granddad had he shared Ð it was just the way he lived.

Some of you may remember that back then — back in the 40's — an ice cream cone cost a nickel — 2 nickels bought a double-decker ice cream cone! Often Granddad would give me a nickel and say to me: "Buy yourself an ice cream!" What power I had! What choices I had! Would it be chocolate or grape or strawberry? And then there were those times when Granddad gave me 2 nickels! Now I could think really big: two scopes of grape or a grape and a chocolate or a strawberry and a grape? Or two strawberry?

During the summer I often walked to church with my grandparents and just often, on those Sundays, Granddad would give me two nickels. So — it would seem — during worship I could be planning that double decker! I remember the summer when the ice cream folks added lime to their selection! Oh wow grape and lime? Or chocolate and lime? Strawberry and lime?

But alas there was to be no double decker — one nickel was for me and the other nickel — it was for the offering plate! Now most Sundays Granddad assisted with the offering — so would he notice if I just pretended and snuck an empty hand into the plate as it went by? I thought about it! Oh how I thought about it! But I knew my Granddad loved me. And furthermore I suspected he knew something about how to live. So into the offering plate went one nickel. And after church I still had power and choices.

My Granddad knew that we are all part of that which is larger than ourselves. We are all a piece in God's Quilt. Granddad was not only living Jesus' prayer that we may all be one; he was also teaching it to me.

We benefit. The world benefits. If it is true that God loves each us (as scripture tells us) and loves us unconditionally If it is true (as Jesus says) God's love is within each us — then does it not follow that this is for: Our benefit AND for the world's benefit?

In our right minds could we really say that God loves us just for our sake? In our right minds could we really say that God's Love is within us is just for ourselves or even for a chosen few others?

The basis of Jesus' prayer that we all be one is that we are loved and we are to love. We are to have God-like goodwill for ourselves and God-like goodwill for all others. It is we believers who are to get it! We are the ones who are supposed to get that there is one quilt: God's Quilt! It is we believers who are to live desiring good things for all the pieces — every piece — that faded orange piece that has seen a better day — that outlandish purple and pink strip — that odd brown piece that doesn't seem to belong ... that block that has every color of the rainbow — who put that together any way?

We of all people — we believers — we're the ones God is counting on because: 1) we know we are loved, 2) we know God's love is within us, 3) we know this love is not just for our sake but also for the sake of the world

It's not going to be our Christian smarts that are going to make the difference. It's not going to be that we will reach agreement on issues — just ask any husband and wife who love each other or any two sisters or brothers — no matter how much they love each other Ð on some of the most vital issues they are going to disagree. That's a given. God's given is that we come to know ourselves as one. God's given is that we live knowing ourselves to be stitched together by love —and it is this love that unites us. God loves you. God loves me. God's love is within you. God's love is within me. The world needs this Love!
Oh! But in reality... Are you like me? Are you thinking that overall we're mostly inadequate for this kind of living?

There's good news! The good news is that Jesus never intended that we believers manage this way of living on our own. From our gospel reading we remember Jesus' prayer was on our behalf asking God to help us, to make this a reality through believers in all times. So let us be diligent in remembering that heavenly help is available with every breath we draw. Thanks be to God!

In a couple of minutes - thanks to John and Alieje we will hear a duet Ð a song you may remember from the 70's. It was sung by the New Seekers. Words in the chorus go like this: "I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony. I'd like to hold it in my arms and keep it company (That's the song I hear) I'd like to see the world for once (Let the world sing today – all standing hand in hand." You will also hear the words: "I'd like to build the world a home and furnish it with love."

My Granddad had only about 3 or 4 years of formal schooling. He was certainly not what we would call educated. It was in church he learned to live Jesus' prayer of unity. Every Sunday morning in that little Presbyterian Church he was reminded 1) God loved him 2) God's love was within him 3) this Love was for his benefit and for the benefit of the world Whatever our education, our age, our skills, our gifts - we believers can live as God's One and Truly Awesome Beautiful Quilt. 

"I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)" is a pop song which originated as a jingle in the groundbreaking 1971 "Hilltop" television commercial for Coca-Cola. The song, produced by Billy Davis and performed by The New Seekers, portrayed a positive message of hope and love sung by a multicultural collection of teenagers on the top of a hill. It originally included the line "I'd like to buy the world a Coke" and repeated "It's the real thing" as Coca-Cola's marketing theme at the time. It was so popular it was re-recorded by The New Seekers and The Hillside Singers as a full-length song, dropping references to Coca-Cola, and became a hit record. The version by The New Seekers reached #1 in the U.K. and #7 in the United States. The Hillside Singers' version was released as a successful single the same year; it reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart:

I'd like to build the world a home
And furnish it with love
Grow apple trees and honey bees
And snow-white turtle doves

Chorus:
I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony
I'd like to hold it in my arms
And keep it company
(That's the song I hear)
I'd like to see the world for once
(Let the world sing today)
All standing hand in hand
And hear them echo through the hills
For peace throughout the land

That's the song I hear
(That's the song I hear)
Let the world sing today
(Let the whole wide world keep singing)
A song of peace that echoes on
And never goes away

(Repeat 1^st stanza and Chorus)

Put your hand in my hand
Let's begin today
Put your hand in my hand
Help me find a way

(Repeat Chorus til fade)

Lea Salonga - "I'D LIKE TO TEACH THE WORLD TO SING" lyrics