If somebody unfamiliar with Christianity walked into any church today and looked around, one of the first things they would notice would probably be the cross. There may be one on the wall, one on the altar, and quite possibly several hanging around people's necks. The cross is everywhere in Christian life. And it might be worth pausing for a moment and remembering how extraordinary that really is. The cross was originally an instrument of execution. It was a symbol of shame, suffering and death. Nobody in the Roman world would have thought of wearing one as jewellery any more than we might wear a tiny electric chair around our necks. It was a brutal reminder of human cruelty and human power. And yet today, all over the world, Christians gather not to hide the cross away but to celebrate it. We sing about it. Some mark themselves with its sign. We place it at the centre of our churches and at the centre of our faith. Why? Because God took what seemed to b...
John 17:20-23 When we hear the word unity, most of us instinctively think it sounds like a good thing. We can picture it - a team playing well together. A choir where different voices somehow make one sound. A family gathering where everybody gets along. There is something really attractive about unity, because when it is there, life seems to work as it should. People don’t have to be identical, but they belong together. Different personalities, different gifts, different stories - and yet somehow moving in the same direction. And maybe that is why division hurts so much. Because we see so much of it. In the world, in communities, in families, and sometimes, sadly, in the church as well. It feels like we live in a time when it can feel easier to argue than to listen, easier to divide than to come together. And into that kind of world comes this prayer of Jesus. And what makes it especially moving is when He prays it. This is the night before the cross. Jesus knows wha...