“One” (John 17;20-26)

“Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno.”  That should be a phrase, though in Latin, that is familiar to all of us; especially if we are fans of The Three Musketeers by author Alexandre Dumas in 1844.  “All for one, one for all.”  This is the rallying cry of the musketeers—Athos, Aramis, Porthos, and their wannabe musketeer, D’Artagnan—as they work their way back into the grace and service of the King of France.  They swear their allegiance to one another and as a whole . . . together they are one in spirit and purpose.

Though most famous as the rallying cry of the three musketeers, the phrase goes back even further to the year of 1618. In a meeting between leaders of the Bohemian Catholic and Protestant communities, division resulted between these two “Christian” bodies.  Violence threaten between the two groups.  One of the Protestant leaders read a letter affirming that no matter what the threat was against the faithful of their way, they would remain as one.  The letter read: “As they also absolutely intended to proceed with the execution against us, we came to a unanimous agreement among ourselves that, regardless of any loss of life and property, we would stand firm, with all for one and one for all . . . nor would we be subservient, but rather we would loyally help and protect each other to the utmost, against all difficulties.”  The animosity between the two religious groups was known as the Thirty Years War.

I imagine that this idea of “oneness” . . . this idea of “one for all, and all for one” . . . goes even farther back than 1618.  As I read our scripture reading this morning I cannot help but to think of that phrase as Jesus prays . . . not just for his disciples, but for all who believe.  Twice in the prayer Jesus prays: “. . . that all of them may be one” and “. . . that they may be one as we are one.”  Even more importantly, he even states this desire for “oneness” and “unity” in his prayer as he prays: “May they be brought to complete unity . . .”  Jesus might as well have prayed, “Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno—all for one, one for all.”

Jesus’ prayer comes during a meal with his disciples . . . unknowing to the disciples, the last meal.  It is a prayer that looks to the future.  Jesus was not only praying for those who were gathered around the table, but also those who were yet to come and follow.  The disciples did not realize that this would be their last meal with Jesus, thus they acted no different than usually acted.  They were no doubt frightened, uncertain, insecure, scrappy, and squabbling.  Peter was petulant, Judas was plotting, and James and John were probably still jockeying for promotions.  There wasn’t a whole lot of unity or oneness in the group.  Throw into the mix those followers who were still come . . . and, well, the future of the followers of Jesus did not look too good.

Jesus had done everything that he could do.  He had taught them.  He had shown them.  He had done everything possible to show them the desire and will of God for all of God’s children.  There was nothing else that he could do, and the time was coming when he would no longer be with them . . . and, so, he prayed.  He prayed for his disciples . . . he prayed for those to come (which, by the way, include us) . . . that they would be “one”.

Jesus had done all he could do and now it was up to the followers.  Jesus prayed: “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.  I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” 

“All for one, one for all.”

On the journey, as my children used to say, and the grandchildren now say, “Are we there yet?”  Have we, the followers of Jesus, become “one” . . . have we come to that “complete unity” that he prayed for?  I will let you mull that one over, but in the meantime, I think that we are probably far from being described as one.

As a nation, would you describe us as “one”?  As people of faith—even Christian faith, could we say that we are united as one?  What about Joliet?  How well do we know one another . . . our neighbors?  Outside of a few people on my street, I hardly know anyone else.  We live in a nation and time of individualism . . . we live as individuals, concerned with our individual welfare.  We talk a good talk about community, but in the end maybe we are not as united as we proclaim to be.  Even within the body of the faithful, we do not always exhibit this idea of “one for all, all for one.”  The reality is that not everyone is on the same page.

Yet, that is what Jesus called upon us to be . . . to be one.  As the camp song goes, he called us to be “one in the Spirit, one in the Lord”, and that this would be our witness to the world.  And, how would they know that we were one . . . that we were the reality of God’s will?  They would know because of our love.  Jesus call upon us to love . . . to love God as God has loved us . . . to love ourselves . . . and, to love others as we love ourselves.  We are to live lives of love . . . just as Jesus lived his.

Thus, we are called to love.  We are called to live our lives in love.  To love God . . . to love others.  In this way we are brought together as one.  In that oneness we care about each other.  We desire the best for each other.  We want the good life for everyone.  In this desire . . . this love . . . we are joined together as one.  We are united in our common goal and destination.  The only way that this race is won is when all cross the finish line together . . . cross the finish line together in love.

Love become the focal point in our journey of faith as individuals and as the “church” or “body of believers”.  We focus on the love of God that binds us together.  When we do this, we have the opportunity to become a community . . . a family . . . that witnesses to the world around us so that others may believe.  This is what Jesus showed his disciples in word and deed . . . love.  Jesus showed the way.  He showed the way towards unity . . . towards oneness . . . and, there is no other way,

Thus, it was his prayer for all of us: “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 have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

In this journey of faith, we begin with love.  Love that binds us one to another.  Love that makes us one.  Through such love the world sees God.  “Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno.” 

One . . . “One for all, all for one”.  Amen.