Summary: Let's listen in to Jesus speaking in St. John's book. Jesus says, "My prayer." He is praying as he speaks and prayer is the first thing in this passage. Jesus prays. We should pray. Imitate him. Jesus says, "My prayer is not for them alone." His prayer is not just his merry band of devotees. It's for us, too. Jesus says, "I pray also for those who will believe in me." That's you. That's me. Here in the future. Prayers have power. They last into the future. How have his prayers lasted? Through the power of Love and the skill of story telling by his apostles, and in all the books and letters written about Jesus over the next three hundred years. Jesus Christ became a media sensation for centuries--in books and in letters. He was a celebrity. Stories of his life were told aloud. His story became the most famous story ever told in the Western world. His story became our story of life everlasting. Prayer is powerful, but so is story telling. Jesus continues, "that all of them may be one." What does this mean to be one? One what? One community? One church? One faith? One in dogma? One in doctrine? When? When were Christians ever one in unity in anything? Christians started fighting amongst ourselves from the get go. Unity? Name the Unity for me if you can. Jesus says, "Father, just as you are in me and I am in you."
