Here we go with the pronouns again!
A few thoughts on Christian unity:
1. Unity is God’s work. I find it interesting that in the Gospel of John, Jesus commands his followers to love another but he does not command unity. The unity so ardently desired by Jesus is obviously not something human beings can accomplish apart from grace.
2. The model for this unity is theological and not political. Rooted in the Trinity, Christian unity is about shared mission and the bonds of mutual charity. I recall a diagram explaining the Trinity that emphasized that the Father is NOT the Son or the Spirit and so on. Christian unity has nothing to do with uniformity.
3. To further emphasize a point partially made in #2, the unity that Jesus prays for is totally mission focused. It is not a self-serving warm fuzzy togetherness. It is not an end in itself. Its purpose is that the world might believe.
4. Keeping # 3 in mind, I do believe, however, that there is a mystical component to this God given unity. The concrete experience of God bringing believers together for the sake of mission is a participation in the very life of God.
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