At One

Jesus prayed; ‘Holy Father protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one’ John 17:11 

Doing things God’s way! It is in our unity with God that we find our unity with one another. The translators studying the New Testament were looking for a word for the new relationship to be found with God in Christ. They decided on the Middle English word ‘atone’ which came from these two words ‘at one’. It seems such a small difference but in small things large important things are found. We have made ‘atone’ a chore, a task, a thing we must do, make up for, to pray for, for to right the wrong that we ourselves have dome. This is not what  ‘at one’ means at all!

‘At one’ means that we at peace with God, so that we can be at peace with one another! And that at-oneness is an act and gift of God; not an act or gift of us! In the middle of the complex message in St John’s Gospel is the simple one that Christ makes us one with God and with each other. So, our calling is to remember that we are one with God and with one another and act towards each other in ways that reflects that oneness. As someone wisely pointed out; whatever troubles we may have with other people they are having the same troubles with us. As we may find on our families, Being Church in lockdown is difficult as we need that ‘at-one ness’ with one another, it is hard to love and learn to love in isolation.

In John’s gospel, Jesus prayed that we would find a home with one another, a place where our ‘at-one ness’ with God becomes a strong ‘ at-one ness’ with each other. May our Church be both a house and a home, for us as the family of God, prayerfully seeking to know and so the will of God.  Thy will be done, thy kingdom come.             

Our website gives details of the worldwide prayer together being offered as our sharing in Thy Kingdom Come. We will begin an online prayer course about praying and for praying together: please get in touch with me if you can join us 01992 584899 vicar@allsaintshertford.org as you will need to be invited and welcomed into the online meeting. I feel this course will help us explore together our praising and forgiving, for we need each other to grow in faith and learn to be at one.