Francis Schaefer looks at John 13:34-35 to conclude that the mark of a Christian is love, that by loving others as Christ loved us, we demonstrate ourselves to be Disciples of Jesus.
He then turns to John 17:20-21 to focus on another element of love: unity. In this passage, Jesus is praying to His heavenly father:
“My prayer is not for them alone. 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.”
Unity is not the same as unanimity. The latter holds that all think and act the same. Unity however calls for us to support one another and the truth even if we don’t all see eye to eye on the specifics. The best teams examine all angles of a problem and proposed solution. All input is valued, even the minority. An enlightened vote is taken with respect to all input, and the team supports the decision in unity.
Why is unity so important amongst Christians? Jesus answers, “So that the world may believe that you (God) have sent me.” If we live as ‘religious’ people we are no better off with Christ. Religion is an empty belief in ritual and good deeds. But loving with the love of Jesus, in unity with one another… That is something quite different.
It is easy to disagree with others. Bear the mark of love today and see how many ways you can build bridges of agreement with others, bridges that support unity.
“Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”
