It is time to discard labels.
John 17:21 – I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one.
In his new book, Peace Talks – The Good News of Jesus in a Donkey / Elephant War, Pastor David Drum of Tucson writes that the main theme of Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17 is the unity of believers. “If it was easy, Jesus wouldn’t have prayed it,” he says.
As Americans approach the coming election, their opinions vary widely on which candidate most closely aligns with their feelings about the direction the nation should take. Make no mistake. The pundits are correct when they say that election 2020 is a pivotal one. Just as the general citizenry is divided, perhaps more now than at any time since the Civil War, Christians place labels on themselves and on others.
Drum writes, “Different perspectives and different priorities are part of the asset side of the equation, not the liability side. The problem comes when we tear apart what God joins together, what God sees as parts of a whole. The problem is demonizing the other side rather than recognizing that we share common goals and each bring valuable ideas to the table.”
The second half of today’s verse gives Christ’s reason for unity among His followers: “that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” Don’t let your labels of one another tear apart that message of Jesus. Discard labels and love one another. Intercede for the Church.
Pray With Us
Heavenly Father, take me again to the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus. Help me to acknowledge, just as He did, my total dependence on You. I repent, dear Father, of putting labels on other Christians because we don’t see things the same way in the coming election. I turn them off rather than taking the time to listen to the depth of their concerns for this nation. All of us want an America to love and enjoy—we just see different ways to get there. Keep me mindful of the equality of your love. Remind me that we need not be uniform to be in unity so that the world may know of Your love. What I ask for myself, I also ask for all believers across this nation, and I ask in the name of Jesus,
Amen.
