An Unanswered Prayer

Gospel: John 17: 20-26

Jesus prayed that his followers all may be one.  How has that worked out? We all claim to want unity, but always on our own terms.  If everyone just thought and acted like I do, everything would be fine.  If these people just belong to our club, accept this credal formula, adopt this particular form of worship, then there will be unity.  That is our idea of unity, framed by issues and criteria remarkably absent from the concerns of Jesus in his words and deeds.  

What if, instead of our perseveration on things Jesus did not care about, Christians actually focused on things he did care about?  What if we were about caring for the sick and addicted, helping the hungry, poor, marginalized, immigrant, refugee, and migrant? What if we were about clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, giving food and drink to the hungry and thirsty, caring for the imprisoned and stranger? What if these things were the focus of unity?

We human beings love to complain to God about our unanswered prayers, and yet here we have the prayer of Jesus that has gone unanswered for two thousand years.  And it is not the fault of God.  It is our fault.  We human beings have failed to make this prayer a reality.  This is God's unanswered prayer that we have failed to answer and fulfill.  Today's Gospel portion gives us much to ponder, much to discern, and much to repent of.