But Jesus doesn't pray that his followers would AGREE - instead he prays like this, “make them one, Father, just as you are in me, and I am in you." Jesus is not calling for a unity based on conformity. He is calling for a unity like that between the members of the Trinity, a unity based on abiding together. The unity of the disciples of Jesus is not based on sharing all the same beliefs, or morals, or virtues - it is based on sharing the same PERSON, Jesus abiding within. What disciples all have in common is HIM. And this is how we can meet a complete stranger, from a different place, with different customs, and different ideas, and yet we can KNOW before we even ask, that she is a Christian. The Christ in us, recognizes the Christ in the other. We ARE in unity with them.
And this unity that we receive with Christ is for our safety, and for the furthering of God's mission. Our safety, because we can connect with other Christians for support and encouragement at the deepest level, at the worst of times. The furthering of God's mission, because the love that naturally follows this kind of connection is obvious to others, and appeals to them. We have a connection BEYOND a shared set of beliefs. We together are one body, the body of Christ, and our differences are not just tolerated, they enhance our ability as a group to relate to others. We do not LOSE ourselves in the body as much as we FIND ourselves in the body of Christ - we find our role, we find our connections, we find the part of the plan in which we are a key player. And we find in our experience of unity, the abiding love of God that creates the unity.
Gracious God, we thank you for making us one in your son Jesus Christ. Help us to treasure our unity even as we explore our differences, and make the love you have for others visible through us, in Jesus' name. Amen.