Guadalcanal Disorder, exhaustion, combat fatigue, shell shock; the Army wasn’t sure what to call it but they knew it was a major problem. Over 500,000 US Soldiers were lost due to “psychiatric collapse” during WWII. Men would shake and scream and stare emptily into the distance. Some would cry, some would run, some would wound themselves, some would desert, and some would take their own lives. Eventually an Army neurologist, captain Frederick Hanson, solved the problem. He recognized that a large number of cases were due to the fact that men had been physically and mentally pushed to their breaking point. They were literally exhausted. So, he created a rehabilitation routine that provided soldiers with hot showers, hot meals, and sleep–sometimes up to 48 hours at a time. Hanson’s routine was so successful that it became Army policy in 1943 and remained so through the end of the war.
James described a battle field when he said, “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there” (Jas. 4:16). He would later ask, “Where do wars and fights come from among you?… You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask” (Jas. 5:1-2). Christians recognize the reality of the spiritual war in which we are engaged (Eph. 6:12) but, sadly, that war is not always waged against the enemy. The Devil loves to launch missiles into the heart of God’s Kingdom by inciting civil war amongst its citizens. If he can cause us to fight, argue, back-bite, and splinter, then he wins. He knows this all too well and thus we must be constantly on guard. But also, just as in physical battle, we become overwhelmed and exhausted by constant conflict. Too much fighting will eventually cause a brother to be downcast, discouraged, and maybe even give up. Thankfully, we are not dependent on a neurologist for the solution to such a problem. The Great Physician has already prescribed the remedy.
In the hours leading up to His death, our Lord had us on His mind. In His prayer Jesus spoke to the Father about Himself (John 17:1-5), His disciples (John 17:6-19), and His church (John 17:20-23). Specifically, Jesus was interested in the unity of His people–the way in which we may fight against Satan’s strategy to divide and conquer. As we consider Jesus’ prayer for our unity, five words come to mind.
Desire. In the hours before His death, we were His subject. Of all the things that could have been on His mind, He was thinking about our unity. That was His desire, but is it ours? Unity is beautiful (Ps. 133:1) and we must endeavor to keep it (Eph. 4:3). We must live in peace with one another (2 Cor. 13:11) and pursue the things that make it possible (Rom. 14:19). But none of that is achievable without desire. If unity was important enough to occupy our Lord’s attention then it should be important enough to occupy ours as well.
Object. Jesus’ desire is the unity of “those who will believe in Me through their word.” The Word of God is greatly emphasized in John 17. The disciples kept God’s Word (v. 6); Jesus gave them God’s Word (v. 8, 14), sanctification is possible through the Word (v. 17), and unity is made possible through the Word (v. 20). If we will be unified then we must all “speak the same thing” and be “perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10). The Word of God is what makes it possible!
Pattern. Our unity is to be patterned after the unity of the Father and the Son. Jesus said, “…that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You…” Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). The Father and Son have perfect unity in purpose (John 6:37-40), word (John 12:50; 14:10), judgment (John 8:16), work (John 10:38), and being (John 1:1-2; 18). There is no greater example for God’s people to follow (cf. 1 Pet. 2:18).
Location. Unity is found “in us”–that is, in the Father and the Son. Unity cannot be found outside of the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23; 4:4-6) where a variety of contradictory beliefs and practices exist. Rather, unity is found among those who have been added to the body of Christ (Acts 2:47), speak the same thing (1 Cor. 1:10), and abide in the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9-11).
Goal. Note that there are three: “that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me” (John 17:23). There is both an internal and external thrust to unity. Internally, Jesus desires our perfection, or completeness. He wants His people to come to a completed or perfect state of unity. Externally, our unity tells the world that God loves His people and Christ came to die for them. This is the message of John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” When is the last time you thought about unity in terms of evangelism?
Battle fatigue is a real problem in war. Left untreated, the consequences can be serious. Thus, the military takes it seriously and provides a number of resources and strategies to keep its men in top fighting condition. The same is true spiritually. Internal fighting among God’s people is exhausting and unproductive. It distracts us from our mission and purpose, it’s an affront to the Savior, and eventually it will push a man to quit. Let’s follow the Physician’s orders and pursue the unity He desires.