All working together

"Father," Jesus said, "I'm praying that my followers will be as close to you as I am, that we'll all be one. I wish that they will be in heaven with me, and that they'll love each other as much as you love me." 

As you're reading this, your mind is helping you figure out the words on the page and what they mean. To make your mind work right, you have to put food into your body to create energy. Then there's your soul, a part of you that can't be seen, but that is just as important as your body and mind. All those parts work together.

This week's Gospel (John 17:20-26) talks about different things working together. In the Gospel story, Jesus is praying, and He asks God the Father to help people get close to Him. Jesus and God the Father are already as close as can be -- they're both God -- and Jesus wants people to be as close to God as He is!

Jesus' prayer about God the Father, Himself and people all loving each other and being together in heaven someday is like the way your body, mind and soul work together. For example, if someone's mind isn't working right, they can't control their body. And people's souls help them choose the right things to do to get closer to God.

When you're tired and it feels like your mind isn't working right, or you're sick and your body isn't working right, you feel sad. You can't wait for everything to be working together again.

That's what Jesus prayed for: He asked that God and people work together, so there would be more love in the world and someday, people would live in heaven with God.

Now, that's really working together!

(5/20/04)