Sermon illustrations for Easter 7 (2016)
Illustration
Object:
Acts 16:16-34
Have you ever been in a maximum security prison? It’s a demeaning and humiliating place to visit. I can’t imagine actually being imprisoned. The guards who check you in can be rude and cutting in their communication. It is as if you as a visitor are dirt under their shoes. Then you have the metal detectors and the wand searches and the stamping of your hand so you can get in and out. Next there’s the bars you must go through and the scanning of your hand that was just stamped, followed by the walk down the hall on a yellow line to another locked door. You ring a buzzer and then are let in and told where you may sit for your visit. It’s hardly the place where a visitor, let alone a prisoner, would want to sing aloud, even in praise to God.
So the praying and singing of Paul and Silas is even more impressive to me, even more faith-filled. To sing praises after being arrested and beaten and imprisoned is just beyond my understanding. So the earthquake, and the transformation of the jailer and the hospitality offered by the jailer’s family, and the baptizing of the whole household must be of God, of the Holy Spirit -- for in my mind nothing else is possible!
Bonnie B.
Acts 16:16-34
She’d lived in the nursing home for quite a few years. Her deteriorating health had forced the issue. She could not walk and was confined to a wheelchair. Arthritis crippled her joints and pained her constantly. She was rapidly losing her eyesight. She’d lived 93 years, and that was a long time. I saw her weekly on my visits there. When people aren’t feeling well or they are in a tight spot, they have a tendency to get agitated and maybe complain just a bit. Though she might have fussed when I wasn’t there, I never saw it. In fact, I saw just the opposite. Though I knew she couldn’t see me, she greeted me with a smile. She loved hearing the Bible taught and preached. She heard enough to exclaim “Amen” at a point she especially liked. And she loved to sing. She knew all the hymns, but was especially fond of “Amazing Grace.” I can still see her singing the last verse of that old song. It was almost as if she was there. “When we’ve been there 10,000 years; bright shining as the sun. We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, than when we’ve first begun.” In the middle of her ailments and hurting, she could sing God’s praise. Remarkable, but not the first time it’s been done.
Paul and Silas were beaten, given a severe flogging, and put in jail. Their feet were fastened in the stocks. There was nothing right about it, nothing fair or just. They had every right to be angry. They could’ve complained about mistreatment. They might have even been a bit angry with God for letting it happen. None of those things are recorded. What it does say is that about midnight they were praying and singing hymns to God. Other prisoners were listening. In the middle of an unfair and painful situation, Paul and Silas turned to God in prayer and praise. What a wonderful example of trust and obedience.
Bill T.
Acts 16:16-34
Philippi is Rome. Those who live in Philippi have all the benefits and privileges of Roman citizenship, even though they may have never been to Rome. When Paul later wrote to the Christians in Philippi, he reminded them that they were citizens of heaven -- another place they haven’t seen... yet (Philippians 3:20).
There is an economic component to our faith that you cannot separate from our beliefs. People don’t like you messing with their wallet. Paul’s success in Philippi led to his continuing to evangelize. At one point he and Silas were followed by a slave woman. She was a prophet, which in this context meant she spouted prophetic gibberish or allusive words ecstatically, which might be interpreted by her handlers for big money. In this case the woman cried out on many occasions: “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation” (v. 17). “Most High God” was the Gentile term for the God of the Hebrews. Evidently this annoyed Paul, because he finally healed her of her demon in the name of Jesus Christ.
This was not a cause for celebration by her owners, because suddenly she stopped babbling and was worthless to them. This led to a near-lynching, jailing, an earthquake, and the near-suicide of the jailer, who would have been better off killing himself had those in his charge escaped, since their punishments would have become his. The prisoners stayed put, however, leading to the baptism of the jailer and his household.
Later, when it is revealed that Paul is a Roman citizen, there is a great deal of fear of possible repercussions, and the authorities try to get Paul to leave quietly, but he insists on making a big show of his departure.
Frank R.
Acts 16:16-34
That servant girl was not a Christian -- though she might make good advertising in the airport. It is interesting that the other gods some worshiped in those days must have had some existence and recognized who was above them all. It sounds like they were annoyed at that, so they went on to annoy Paul and the other believers. The motive of the slave girl was not to encourage anyone to be a follower of Jesus and listen to Paul.
In Nepal, the Hindu gods were sometimes helpful in turning their believers to the one true God. Many were converted when those gods seemed to point ahead to another god who was to come, but as it says in that lesson, those whose job was to manufacture those Hindu gods were angry because they were losing business!
Today the gods of money are often angry when those who know Jesus are no longer worshipers of wealth. All they care about is the comforts of wealth.
The worst thing we can do to make enemies in this world is to hurt the profit motive. We may even “worship” those who have the most wealth -- the 1%.
When someone asked me how much I earned as a pastor, I said about half a million a year. They were shocked! They asked what I did with all that money. So I told them that my salary was only a small fraction of that, but they had asked how much I earned.
One billionaire even confessed that his secretary might work harder and deserve a bigger income.
We can be ostracized for taking away the praise of the rich. Some might say it is un-American! But we are not likely to be thrown in jail or tortured for it.
One Christian in Nepal was showing such love and care for the ones who were beating and torturing him that the love he showed them and his forgiveness for them was converting them. In fact, his forgiveness was so successful that they released him early!
No matter what it costs, let others know that the one and only true God loves them and wants them to turn to him. Maybe your caring and loving spirit will convert them.
I can tell if someone has really come to Jesus by their joyful expression. It is like discovering great riches! We should feel that love in our churches, even if there are some members we don’t care much for. That would be a sign that God’s love is in us.
Bob O.
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21
It is a variously and frequently expressed pastoral encouragement: “When in doubt, step out in faith and trust God”; “Do everything that you are capable of doing, then put it in God’s hands”; “The best day of your life is when you finally realize that you are not responsible for sprinkling the stars in the heavens nor for keeping the earth turning on its axis. A power greater assumes those responsibilities.” When chased into a corner and carefully examined, the message is that “You can trust God, because God can be trusted.”
This reading from the last chapter of the Bible’s last book affirms the conviction that runs through the Revelation of John. God promises to be faithful and just. We can hold tightly to this promise because God can be trusted. God will not abandon us. As this passage states it: “Surely, I am coming soon” (v. 14).
John Ylvisaker’s popular hymn “I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry” expresses this beautifully. This poet claims that God is with us in the moments of our birth and at our baptism; with us in the rebellious time of youth; with us as we exchange wedding vows; with us when we are middle-aged; and will be with us when we are old. Even at the moment of our death, God will be present “with just one more surprise.”
Put your trust in God, for God can be trusted. Indeed, Christ is coming soon.
R. Robert C.
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21
President Woodrow Wilson’s first wife, Ellen Louise Axson of Savannah, Georgia, died on August 6, 1914 of Bright’s disease. The day before her death, she made her physician promise to tell Woodrow “later” that she hoped he would marry again; she murmured at the end “take good care of my husband.” Wilson did take her permission and married Edith Bolling in 1915.
Application: The message of the Tree of Life is that we are always to go on living. We are always to be looking to the future. We are always to have a sense of hope.
Ron L.
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21
It is commonly said that Christians live between times -- between Christ’s time on earth and his Second Coming. The best perspective on this has been nicely stated by Charles Kettering, the inventor of the electric starter. He said, “My interest is in the future, because I am going to spend the rest of my life there.” Writing about Christianity, theologian of hope Jurgen Moltmann has claimed that “If we would fathom its essence then we must enquire into that future on which it sets its hopes and expectations” (Theology of Hope, p. 325). The image of Christ’s conquest in the future which our lesson portrays is what Christianity is all about, orients how we live today, and so gives us confidence to cope for we know what lies ahead. Christians can agree with Hindi writer Varum Riavikumar that “It is not the past that matters but the future.” African-American author Alice Walker put it this way: “Look closely at the present you are constructing. It should look like the future you are dreaming.” Effectively, Christians believe that our eyes are placed in front, because it is more important to look ahead than to look back.
Mark E.
John 17:20-26
Love is powerful. As of this writing, my husband and I will have been married 36 years. We have weathered the storms of lost jobs and relocations, changed careers, the sicknesses and deaths of all four of our parents, the stillbirth of twin sons, a separation to work out personal issues, educational changes, and changes in vocation and lifestyle as I was ordained a church pastor. Through all this, love has been the constant. Even when our relationship seemed so broken that we might never reconcile, love remained.
Love isn’t easy. The kind of love that Jesus is quoted as speaking about is a love beyond the romance of first dates or even of wedding ceremonies. The love of which Jesus speaks is a love that Paul writes about in his letter to the Corinthians: a love that is patient and kind and durable and forgiving and offers one’s self. This is love. Love may be a feeling, but as a Jesus-follower, love is a verb. Love is a commandment. Love is a duty and an honor and an act of obedience to Jesus and through Jesus to God. It may be a little hokey to say it, but I believe it’s true. What the world needs now is love.
Bonnie B.
John 17:20-26
It happened in a place far, far away. There was a small town that nestled up against a mountain. The town was quite a distance from any other, and because of that its residents had learned to be self-sufficient. They raised their own crops on farmlands just outside the town walls. They raised cattle for beef on the grasslands at the foot of the mountain. They could take care of themselves. Like people have a tendency to do, over time disagreements popped up among them. Some of the townsfolk wanted to expand the farms into some of the grasslands the ranchers used. Of course, the farmers and some of the merchants thought this would be great. The ranchers and butchers, however, disagreed. The townsfolk expressed all of their thoughts and opinions at a raucous town meeting. It seemed as if the town might splinter into two groups, until word came to one of the town leaders that an army had been spotted on the mountain heading their way. The warning bells rang. Farmers and ranchers helped each other get family members inside the town walls. Merchants and butchers joined their brothers in taking up arms to fight the invader. Those who’d been arguing with each other the night before stood side by side, united in battle.
How did this happen? How did unity emerge from so much disunity? The answer, it seems to me, is that which threatened them and united them was far greater than that which divided them. Jesus prayed for his followers to be one, as he and his Father are one. Notice verse 22: “The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one.” Jesus revealed the glory his Father had given him to his followers. There is something huge and wonderful about that glory. There are many things that divide Christians today. If only we could see the glory of God and Jesus Christ. That which can unite us is greater than all that seeks to divide us.
Bill T.
John 17:20-26
Here’s the rock-bottom truth: Jesus did not leave us alone. The Advocate is with us to make everything crystal-clear. Something important is happening here that is almost invisible. Jesus is praying for his disciples in their presence. This is a powerful action, one we ought to avail ourselves of. Spoken prayer in someone’s presence is not meant to manipulate. It is not an exercise in power. It is meant to draw upon the tremendous strength that undergirds the universe. Jesus is expressing confidence in the things that are unseen, but also recognizing that not everyone gets it. However, that should not influence our own perception of the universe. We who live 2,000 years later are a part of this prayer, and ought to hear ourselves in the presence of Jesus in praying this scripture. We are one. That is a comforting thought.
Frank R.
John 17:20-26
Are we all one? Are all Christians united? We see all over our town churches that have different names on them: Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, and Lutheran. Do we pray every week that we may all be one? The main people who treat us as “all one,” are those who belong to no church and are not believers. They may complain about what all those Christians are doing!
It was so refreshing when we went to Nepal and discovered that we were all just brother and sister Christians! If there was a denominational name over the door of a church, it usually meant that they got financial support from that body.
When I came home and asked for money for the people in Nepal, some would ask me, “Are they really Lutheran?”
We can have a “we-they” problem. It can be true in denominations and in political parties and in countries of origin. One politician put all people below our border who want to get into our country into a degrading group of no-good bums -- and worse!
When I was traveling in Europe, I often had local natives come to me and complain about what all Americans wanted. (They must not watch our TV.)
If God is really in us, then we will be one. Only his love can make us one! Only his love can unite us!
In interdenominational meetings, I always had a sense of which members of the group understood that by our love for God many of us were united as one. We know that Jesus died for all in the world -- and not just for one group who felt they were better than anyone else, who believed that they were the only true children of God.
Jesus had only one bride -- his church, his people. He was not a polygamist!
We are not traitors of our faith if we love all those whom God loves and has called to him -- even if some may differ from us in important ways by what their faith teaches.
One Muslim in Asia asked me if we Christians worshiped three gods! It was hard to explain, as our passage says, that Jesus is in the Father and they are one. I tried to illustrate it by asking him how many people am I. When he said one, I said I was really three. I was a father because I had children, and I was a son because I had a father, and I was a husband because I also had a wife -- and we were one, just as the Holy Spirit was one with the Father and Son. The word “Spirit” in the original is in the feminine. But I am only one person. He looked at me a moment with a puzzled look on his face before he walked away. We worship only one God!
The statement that we are also one in God is a little harder, but it is a feeling that can’t be explained. Just as we feel that the members of our congregation are one in the Spirit, so we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. He has made us one. That can make membership in a church even more exciting! God has made us one!
Bob O.
Have you ever been in a maximum security prison? It’s a demeaning and humiliating place to visit. I can’t imagine actually being imprisoned. The guards who check you in can be rude and cutting in their communication. It is as if you as a visitor are dirt under their shoes. Then you have the metal detectors and the wand searches and the stamping of your hand so you can get in and out. Next there’s the bars you must go through and the scanning of your hand that was just stamped, followed by the walk down the hall on a yellow line to another locked door. You ring a buzzer and then are let in and told where you may sit for your visit. It’s hardly the place where a visitor, let alone a prisoner, would want to sing aloud, even in praise to God.
So the praying and singing of Paul and Silas is even more impressive to me, even more faith-filled. To sing praises after being arrested and beaten and imprisoned is just beyond my understanding. So the earthquake, and the transformation of the jailer and the hospitality offered by the jailer’s family, and the baptizing of the whole household must be of God, of the Holy Spirit -- for in my mind nothing else is possible!
Bonnie B.
Acts 16:16-34
She’d lived in the nursing home for quite a few years. Her deteriorating health had forced the issue. She could not walk and was confined to a wheelchair. Arthritis crippled her joints and pained her constantly. She was rapidly losing her eyesight. She’d lived 93 years, and that was a long time. I saw her weekly on my visits there. When people aren’t feeling well or they are in a tight spot, they have a tendency to get agitated and maybe complain just a bit. Though she might have fussed when I wasn’t there, I never saw it. In fact, I saw just the opposite. Though I knew she couldn’t see me, she greeted me with a smile. She loved hearing the Bible taught and preached. She heard enough to exclaim “Amen” at a point she especially liked. And she loved to sing. She knew all the hymns, but was especially fond of “Amazing Grace.” I can still see her singing the last verse of that old song. It was almost as if she was there. “When we’ve been there 10,000 years; bright shining as the sun. We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, than when we’ve first begun.” In the middle of her ailments and hurting, she could sing God’s praise. Remarkable, but not the first time it’s been done.
Paul and Silas were beaten, given a severe flogging, and put in jail. Their feet were fastened in the stocks. There was nothing right about it, nothing fair or just. They had every right to be angry. They could’ve complained about mistreatment. They might have even been a bit angry with God for letting it happen. None of those things are recorded. What it does say is that about midnight they were praying and singing hymns to God. Other prisoners were listening. In the middle of an unfair and painful situation, Paul and Silas turned to God in prayer and praise. What a wonderful example of trust and obedience.
Bill T.
Acts 16:16-34
Philippi is Rome. Those who live in Philippi have all the benefits and privileges of Roman citizenship, even though they may have never been to Rome. When Paul later wrote to the Christians in Philippi, he reminded them that they were citizens of heaven -- another place they haven’t seen... yet (Philippians 3:20).
There is an economic component to our faith that you cannot separate from our beliefs. People don’t like you messing with their wallet. Paul’s success in Philippi led to his continuing to evangelize. At one point he and Silas were followed by a slave woman. She was a prophet, which in this context meant she spouted prophetic gibberish or allusive words ecstatically, which might be interpreted by her handlers for big money. In this case the woman cried out on many occasions: “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation” (v. 17). “Most High God” was the Gentile term for the God of the Hebrews. Evidently this annoyed Paul, because he finally healed her of her demon in the name of Jesus Christ.
This was not a cause for celebration by her owners, because suddenly she stopped babbling and was worthless to them. This led to a near-lynching, jailing, an earthquake, and the near-suicide of the jailer, who would have been better off killing himself had those in his charge escaped, since their punishments would have become his. The prisoners stayed put, however, leading to the baptism of the jailer and his household.
Later, when it is revealed that Paul is a Roman citizen, there is a great deal of fear of possible repercussions, and the authorities try to get Paul to leave quietly, but he insists on making a big show of his departure.
Frank R.
Acts 16:16-34
That servant girl was not a Christian -- though she might make good advertising in the airport. It is interesting that the other gods some worshiped in those days must have had some existence and recognized who was above them all. It sounds like they were annoyed at that, so they went on to annoy Paul and the other believers. The motive of the slave girl was not to encourage anyone to be a follower of Jesus and listen to Paul.
In Nepal, the Hindu gods were sometimes helpful in turning their believers to the one true God. Many were converted when those gods seemed to point ahead to another god who was to come, but as it says in that lesson, those whose job was to manufacture those Hindu gods were angry because they were losing business!
Today the gods of money are often angry when those who know Jesus are no longer worshipers of wealth. All they care about is the comforts of wealth.
The worst thing we can do to make enemies in this world is to hurt the profit motive. We may even “worship” those who have the most wealth -- the 1%.
When someone asked me how much I earned as a pastor, I said about half a million a year. They were shocked! They asked what I did with all that money. So I told them that my salary was only a small fraction of that, but they had asked how much I earned.
One billionaire even confessed that his secretary might work harder and deserve a bigger income.
We can be ostracized for taking away the praise of the rich. Some might say it is un-American! But we are not likely to be thrown in jail or tortured for it.
One Christian in Nepal was showing such love and care for the ones who were beating and torturing him that the love he showed them and his forgiveness for them was converting them. In fact, his forgiveness was so successful that they released him early!
No matter what it costs, let others know that the one and only true God loves them and wants them to turn to him. Maybe your caring and loving spirit will convert them.
I can tell if someone has really come to Jesus by their joyful expression. It is like discovering great riches! We should feel that love in our churches, even if there are some members we don’t care much for. That would be a sign that God’s love is in us.
Bob O.
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21
It is a variously and frequently expressed pastoral encouragement: “When in doubt, step out in faith and trust God”; “Do everything that you are capable of doing, then put it in God’s hands”; “The best day of your life is when you finally realize that you are not responsible for sprinkling the stars in the heavens nor for keeping the earth turning on its axis. A power greater assumes those responsibilities.” When chased into a corner and carefully examined, the message is that “You can trust God, because God can be trusted.”
This reading from the last chapter of the Bible’s last book affirms the conviction that runs through the Revelation of John. God promises to be faithful and just. We can hold tightly to this promise because God can be trusted. God will not abandon us. As this passage states it: “Surely, I am coming soon” (v. 14).
John Ylvisaker’s popular hymn “I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry” expresses this beautifully. This poet claims that God is with us in the moments of our birth and at our baptism; with us in the rebellious time of youth; with us as we exchange wedding vows; with us when we are middle-aged; and will be with us when we are old. Even at the moment of our death, God will be present “with just one more surprise.”
Put your trust in God, for God can be trusted. Indeed, Christ is coming soon.
R. Robert C.
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21
President Woodrow Wilson’s first wife, Ellen Louise Axson of Savannah, Georgia, died on August 6, 1914 of Bright’s disease. The day before her death, she made her physician promise to tell Woodrow “later” that she hoped he would marry again; she murmured at the end “take good care of my husband.” Wilson did take her permission and married Edith Bolling in 1915.
Application: The message of the Tree of Life is that we are always to go on living. We are always to be looking to the future. We are always to have a sense of hope.
Ron L.
Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21
It is commonly said that Christians live between times -- between Christ’s time on earth and his Second Coming. The best perspective on this has been nicely stated by Charles Kettering, the inventor of the electric starter. He said, “My interest is in the future, because I am going to spend the rest of my life there.” Writing about Christianity, theologian of hope Jurgen Moltmann has claimed that “If we would fathom its essence then we must enquire into that future on which it sets its hopes and expectations” (Theology of Hope, p. 325). The image of Christ’s conquest in the future which our lesson portrays is what Christianity is all about, orients how we live today, and so gives us confidence to cope for we know what lies ahead. Christians can agree with Hindi writer Varum Riavikumar that “It is not the past that matters but the future.” African-American author Alice Walker put it this way: “Look closely at the present you are constructing. It should look like the future you are dreaming.” Effectively, Christians believe that our eyes are placed in front, because it is more important to look ahead than to look back.
Mark E.
John 17:20-26
Love is powerful. As of this writing, my husband and I will have been married 36 years. We have weathered the storms of lost jobs and relocations, changed careers, the sicknesses and deaths of all four of our parents, the stillbirth of twin sons, a separation to work out personal issues, educational changes, and changes in vocation and lifestyle as I was ordained a church pastor. Through all this, love has been the constant. Even when our relationship seemed so broken that we might never reconcile, love remained.
Love isn’t easy. The kind of love that Jesus is quoted as speaking about is a love beyond the romance of first dates or even of wedding ceremonies. The love of which Jesus speaks is a love that Paul writes about in his letter to the Corinthians: a love that is patient and kind and durable and forgiving and offers one’s self. This is love. Love may be a feeling, but as a Jesus-follower, love is a verb. Love is a commandment. Love is a duty and an honor and an act of obedience to Jesus and through Jesus to God. It may be a little hokey to say it, but I believe it’s true. What the world needs now is love.
Bonnie B.
John 17:20-26
It happened in a place far, far away. There was a small town that nestled up against a mountain. The town was quite a distance from any other, and because of that its residents had learned to be self-sufficient. They raised their own crops on farmlands just outside the town walls. They raised cattle for beef on the grasslands at the foot of the mountain. They could take care of themselves. Like people have a tendency to do, over time disagreements popped up among them. Some of the townsfolk wanted to expand the farms into some of the grasslands the ranchers used. Of course, the farmers and some of the merchants thought this would be great. The ranchers and butchers, however, disagreed. The townsfolk expressed all of their thoughts and opinions at a raucous town meeting. It seemed as if the town might splinter into two groups, until word came to one of the town leaders that an army had been spotted on the mountain heading their way. The warning bells rang. Farmers and ranchers helped each other get family members inside the town walls. Merchants and butchers joined their brothers in taking up arms to fight the invader. Those who’d been arguing with each other the night before stood side by side, united in battle.
How did this happen? How did unity emerge from so much disunity? The answer, it seems to me, is that which threatened them and united them was far greater than that which divided them. Jesus prayed for his followers to be one, as he and his Father are one. Notice verse 22: “The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one.” Jesus revealed the glory his Father had given him to his followers. There is something huge and wonderful about that glory. There are many things that divide Christians today. If only we could see the glory of God and Jesus Christ. That which can unite us is greater than all that seeks to divide us.
Bill T.
John 17:20-26
Here’s the rock-bottom truth: Jesus did not leave us alone. The Advocate is with us to make everything crystal-clear. Something important is happening here that is almost invisible. Jesus is praying for his disciples in their presence. This is a powerful action, one we ought to avail ourselves of. Spoken prayer in someone’s presence is not meant to manipulate. It is not an exercise in power. It is meant to draw upon the tremendous strength that undergirds the universe. Jesus is expressing confidence in the things that are unseen, but also recognizing that not everyone gets it. However, that should not influence our own perception of the universe. We who live 2,000 years later are a part of this prayer, and ought to hear ourselves in the presence of Jesus in praying this scripture. We are one. That is a comforting thought.
Frank R.
John 17:20-26
Are we all one? Are all Christians united? We see all over our town churches that have different names on them: Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, and Lutheran. Do we pray every week that we may all be one? The main people who treat us as “all one,” are those who belong to no church and are not believers. They may complain about what all those Christians are doing!
It was so refreshing when we went to Nepal and discovered that we were all just brother and sister Christians! If there was a denominational name over the door of a church, it usually meant that they got financial support from that body.
When I came home and asked for money for the people in Nepal, some would ask me, “Are they really Lutheran?”
We can have a “we-they” problem. It can be true in denominations and in political parties and in countries of origin. One politician put all people below our border who want to get into our country into a degrading group of no-good bums -- and worse!
When I was traveling in Europe, I often had local natives come to me and complain about what all Americans wanted. (They must not watch our TV.)
If God is really in us, then we will be one. Only his love can make us one! Only his love can unite us!
In interdenominational meetings, I always had a sense of which members of the group understood that by our love for God many of us were united as one. We know that Jesus died for all in the world -- and not just for one group who felt they were better than anyone else, who believed that they were the only true children of God.
Jesus had only one bride -- his church, his people. He was not a polygamist!
We are not traitors of our faith if we love all those whom God loves and has called to him -- even if some may differ from us in important ways by what their faith teaches.
One Muslim in Asia asked me if we Christians worshiped three gods! It was hard to explain, as our passage says, that Jesus is in the Father and they are one. I tried to illustrate it by asking him how many people am I. When he said one, I said I was really three. I was a father because I had children, and I was a son because I had a father, and I was a husband because I also had a wife -- and we were one, just as the Holy Spirit was one with the Father and Son. The word “Spirit” in the original is in the feminine. But I am only one person. He looked at me a moment with a puzzled look on his face before he walked away. We worship only one God!
The statement that we are also one in God is a little harder, but it is a feeling that can’t be explained. Just as we feel that the members of our congregation are one in the Spirit, so we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. He has made us one. That can make membership in a church even more exciting! God has made us one!
Bob O.
