Faith Through Community
one
At the Last Supper, Jesus offers heart-felt prayers to the Father, and in these verses He offers a very profound prayer on behalf of some important people. Let us listen to Jesus in John’s Gospel, “I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (Jn 17: 20-21). He prays not just for His Apostles, but for all those who believe through their word—that is, all of us! He teaches three profound insights here: He prays to the Father, on our behalf; that unity is divine; and that this unity in God and our own relationships offers convincing proof to the world that Jesus is indeed the Savior. Thus, Jesus prays for all our efforts to testify on His behalf, and this testimony takes a very convincing form in friendship and community. Lord Jesus, be in us and let us be in you, that our communities, especially our families and teams, may offer proof that you are the King of the World!
two
The mystery of human need for community is not a recent discovery, nor is it explicitly a Christian one. Aristotle, a pagan philosopher, said “Man is by nature a social animal… Anyone who cannot lead the common life … and therefore does not partake of society, is a ghost or a beast” (Politics, Aristotle). Aristotle also sees that society is in our DNA.
God could have created humans differently. He could have given us complete self-sufficiency and independent happiness. But He did not.
Out of all the animals in the world, Humans need the most to be fulfilled. This is not a defect, but a gift: God creates us that way—social. We are better off needing others. We need personal relationships based on love to be happy. We need friendship. He created our hearts to be restless until they rest in friendship, ultimately friendship with and in Him.
three
Our culture has lost sight of this. Friendship has become synonymous with someone who makes me feel good. And in the end, our society says, ‘It’s totally fine to go it alone, be independent, you don’t need anyone.’ Autonomy seems to be the endless mantra of the modern age. But the effects of this belief are catastrophic. Americans are forgetting what it is to live in a society, to be human. No amount of physical fitness, “Self Help” or self-reliance can adequately replace our need for true friendship. We are not made for loneliness and isolation. We were not created for comfort, but for love with, from, and for others. Especially with Jesus!
four
Friendship, at its core, is willing the good of the other for their sake and rejoicing while you do. The definition of Love is essentially the same. C.S. Lewis says “Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art, like the universe itself (for God did not need to create). Friendship has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.” We are created in the image of a God who is Love. Friendship is just a particular instance of us committing to love another person and taking delight in it. But how do we grow in friendship with others? If you are like me, I can talk about sports or movies all day, but sometimes I don’t move past those conversations. An ancient Greek proverb says, "To be a friend to someone you must eat a sack of salt together." I do not advise doing this in one sitting, but the idea is that you are not truly friends until you have shared enough meals together that you have depleted your sack of salt. Sharing a meal has always been a sign of intimacy and friendship. After all, God shows us His friendship by sharing in the meal of the Eucharist. If you want to become better friends with God, make a commitment to go share a meal with Him at daily Mass. If you want to become better friends with someone, have them over for a meal. It’s what we were made to do. Today, ask yourself, “Who can I invite?”
five
What was that unity for which Jesus prayed? Was it merely conformity to external norms, or some kind of a correctness based on enforced policies? No, it was a unity that flowed from the Love He has for the Father, and the Father for Him, in the Holy Spirit, poured out for us so that now, in Christ, “we, though many, form one Body in Christ, each member belonging to the others” (Rom 12:5). “It is more natural for men to be divided than to be united. It is more human for men to fly apart than to come together. Real unity between all Christians would be a supernatural fact which would require a supernatural explanation" (Barclay’s Commentary, Jn 17:21). Our communities, our families and teams, when united in prayer and friendship, receives this heart-felt prayer of Jesus offered to the Father. May our teams be a receptacle and outpouring of this prayer of Jesus!