I would like to offer just one thought on the unity of the Body of Christ during this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: working toward the unity of the whole Body of Christ is not an option for us as Christians. In fact, I would argue it is central to our calling as the Church.
In this spirit, I would invite you to reflect on two texts:
1) The Gospel of John, chapter 17: Jesus’ “high priestly prayer” for his disciples before his Passion and
2) The New Delhi Statement (1961) of the World Council of Churches, especially paragraph 2:
We believe that the unity which is both God’s will and his gift to his Church is being made visible as all in each place who are baptized into Jesus Christ and confess him as Lord and Saviour are brought by the Holy Spirit into one fully committed fellowship, holding the one apostolic faith preaching the one Gospel, breaking the one bread, joining in common prayer, and having a corporate life reaching out in witness and service to all and who at the same time are united with the whole Christian fellowship in all places and all ages in such wise that ministry and members are accepted by all, and that all can act and speak together as occasion requires for the tasks to which God calls his people.
It is for such unity that we believe we must pray and work.
With prayers for the unity of the whole Church…