ONENESS: An Undisturbed Life Now

“…that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.”   John 17: 22-23

It is not often that we hear a passionate call for experiencing “oneness” as the goal of discipleship or the goal of spiritual formation.  When “oneness” is expressed as of supreme importance in the Christian experience it is often opposed by leaders as too mystical, passive or even “new age.”

How tragic for us all.  Oneness is far beyond mysticism, passivity and new age.  Oneness with the Trinity is the very essence of what Jesus came to allow us to enjoy.  Why? Jesus knew and taught that only from oneness can a human being become truly human again.

“Without Me you can do nothing.”  John 15:5

Oneness is the “undisturbed life” that the Trinity enjoys moment by moment.  It is the “undisturbed life” Jesus enjoyed and makes available to us right now.

It is from this deep and undisturbed rest and life called oneness that love is able to flow freely and without interruption.  Oneness is what produced and sustained Jesus’ love for us.  It will sustain our love as well if we will seek it above all other of His gifts.

Continuous love produced by oneness is not mystical, passive or new age.  Flowing, continuous love is exactly what makes a human being truly real, active and continuously useful in the world.

I was raised in an environment where the most commonly used phrase of Christian hope was “going to heaven when we die.”  The idea was that this change in geography--going to heaven--was the true goal.  That view severely limited my spiritual growth and formation.  No one passionately pointed me to oneness except a few authors.  Most of those who were passionate about oneness were already dead and in heaven!  How sad the living  were so silent.

Jesus was after much more than a change in spiritual geography for us. He was after oneness.  He knew that only oneness changes things now and equips us to enjoy heaven later. 

Waiting for arrival in heaven to change things and produce an undisturbed life is to accept a continuously disturbed life now. Through oneness we can hope for an undisturbed life right now.

Oneness needs to be elevated among us again.

As a still living brother in Christ, I passionately call you to oneness as the true Christian experience. Abiding is the way to enjoy oneness.  Abide!

Set your hope on oneness now.  Heaven will be there for sure and  oneness is what makes heaven so desirable.   Oneness is the most permanent thing in the universe.  Oneness is before and after everything.  Make that so in your life, too.

Please hear these words of Jesus once again…

“…that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.”   John 17: 22-23