Eleven men. Suffering loss. Fearing for their lives. Looking at each other with distrust. Remembering power struggles, heated arguments, words dripping with jealousy and selfishness. Betrayal, paralysis, weakness…
Eleven men. Pushing fear aside. Lifting each other up. Forgetting petty differences. Focusing in a common direction. Worship, energy, strength…
What made the difference? The disciples finally answered Jesus’ prayer!
I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. John 17
When they finally came together in unity, the power of the Spirit lit them up- literally! Pentecost. Purpose. Ministry. Mission. Through this small group, Jesus changed the world. We feel the effects of that power even today.
We find so many ways to divide ourselves. Race, language, economic status, religion, social status. Kids do it. Adults do it.
Two men sat in the freezing cold around a dying fire. One white, one black. Each holding a piece of wood. Each looking at the other with dislike and distrust. When they were found the next morning, someone remarked,” They didn’t die from the cold without, but rather from the cold within.”
Whether at home or at work or in the church, we are hamstrung, blocked from realizing the Spirit’s power in our lives. What lines do you draw that separate you from those around you? What prevents you from living in unity with your family, your coworkers, your church family? Father, help me look for more unity and less division, more oneness and less separation. Make me ready to be lit up by the Spirit.
shared in the workplace 2/22/10