Dear Church Family,
This time of year, something I always dread is the inevitable arrival of those pesky ladybug-looking Asian Beetles! I don't know about you, but I have developed a rather strong dislike for these little creatures, and especially the stink they leave when you swat at them. They seem to take great joy in swarming me on my walks, and crawling down my shirt, making me wiggle in a most undignified way.  Then there is the constant battle of vacuuming them off the windowsills as they find their way into the house from every nook and cranny. 
But this year, much to my surprise and delight, their presence hasn't been nearly as bad. Being the inquisitive person I am,  I began researching what was going on. Had they simply not arrived yet, or had something reduced their numbers?
I came across an interesting theory. The timing of our heavy rains and the unseasonable weather patterns may have reduced the population of aphids, their primary food source. If so, without enough aphids to eat, the beetles may resort to eating their own larvae.
Yuck! Talk about turning on your own!
Now, I don't know if that is what happened or if we are about to get the beetle apocalypse, but it certainly got me thinking that unfortunately, sometimes people aren't all that different.
We see it in politics, where people seem more interested in destroying their opponents than solving problems. We see it in social groups, communities, and even sports, where self-interest can quickly destroy a team. But surely that kind of behavior doesn't find its way into the church, does it?  Tragically, we know better.
As we come to chapter 17 in our journey through the Gospel of John, we encounter one of the most remarkable prayers in all of the Bible—the actual Lord’s Prayer. Knowing what lies ahead, Jesus prays for Himself, for His disciples, and then for all who will come to believe in Him through their testimony. (Yes, that includes you and me.)
What does Jesus pray for… Unity.
In John 17:21, Jesus prays, "that they may all be one," and then reveals why this matters so much: "so that the world may believe that you have sent me." (ESV)
In the last moments before His arrest, Jesus is praying for the unity of His followers. Our unity is not merely a nice idea or a way to make church life more pleasant. It is an integral part of our witness to the world!
But we need to understand what Christian unity really means. Unity in Christ does not mean that everyone agrees on everything. It certainly doesn't mean that everyone else finally comes to their senses and realizes that my opinions and perspectives are always right! (Although, I must admit, that would make things considerably easier.)
Biblical unity isn't about everyone getting their way. It is about everyone surrendering their way to “The Way”… to Christ.
Paul reminds us in Ephesians 4:2-3 to walk "with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love," and to be "eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
Unity requires humility, gentleness, patience, and love. Those aren't always our natural responses when someone disagrees with us. They are, however, evidence of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives.
In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Imagine how much healthier our homes, relationships, and churches would be if we consistently demonstrated those qualities, especially when we disagreed!
The truth is, unity is not the absence of differences; it is the presence of Christ in the midst of those differences.
We come from different backgrounds, have different experiences, hold different opinions, and possess different personalities. But what unites us in Jesus Christ is infinitely greater than anything that might divide us.
Jesus said in John 13:35, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
Our world has plenty of examples of people tearing one another apart. What it desperately needs is people demonstrating love for one another because they have been transformed by the love of Christ.
So, as we continue our journey through John's Gospel, I hope we take Jesus' prayer seriously. May we be a congregation that strives to honor Christ above personal preferences, extend grace rather than criticism, pray to God about people rather than talk about them to others, and build one another up instead of tearing them down.
After all, the church should be the one place where we don't have to worry about being eaten alive by our own!  Let's leave that to the beetles.
Loving you all, 
Michael