Seamless Lives of Faith | John 17:21, 26
Ryleigh Wallace ‘25
“That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
“I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
This week, the fellows gathered for our regular routine of Sunday morning church, Monday seminar and roundtable dinner, Tuesday night youth family, internship schedules, and more. Among all the ordinary details of the week, we continued to find joy in fellowship, good conversations and group activities.
The sermon series that guided our way through the month of January was entitled “Missional People”—that is, as Christ-followers, we are people on mission for his glory and our good in all aspects of our life, from the big moments to the mundane and everything in between. On Sunday, Pastor Isaiah Brooms spoke to the congregation on John 17, Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer, with specific focus on verses 20-26. As the closing sermon of the series, Pastor Brooms shared with us a simple, but beautiful truth—mission does not only happen abroad, nor is it solely consolidated to the church; instead, our entire lives are our mission fields. As Pastor Brooms said, “Reflecting God’s glory through love isn’t a lofty ideal; it is a practical and relational commitment, one to the other.” Hence, the sign of our missional lives is found not in broad concepts or ideas, rather, it is demonstrated through our tangible acts of love, such as carrying one another’s burdens, listening well, attentively showing up for each other, and committing to relationships. After all, as Christ prays, “That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent” (John 17:21). A defining character of the body of Christ is unity. As Pastor Brooms continued to share, “We are united not by what we have in common, but by who we serve.” The enduring commitment of the people of Christ to love tangibly, intentionally, and truly reflects the love of God, and this is evident in the desire to love and serve the Lord, from which all other love flows. This is how mission happens. It does not occur on the mere basis of commonality or sameness. Both unity and love are choices that must be made daily. Throughout this week, I have experienced a glimpse of the enduring love that is found when a community is committed to each member, and each member to one another.
After church on Sunday, having heard a message that preached loving one another through tangible and everyday commitments, I joined the 20s and 30s group for a lunch of good food and good conversation. At the lunch table, I mentioned needing to take my car to the shop to have it looked at. Rather than having to address this problem alone, I was answered with a host of friends who volunteered their afternoons to help me. And there it was, so evidently, the love that Pastor Brooms had just spoken of.
On Monday, the fellows came together for seminar, during which we discussed Critical Race Theory, Christian worldview, and how to love well those with whom we disagree. That night, we reunited for a roundtable dinner composed of a taco bar and an ice cream bar for dessert. Even more of a treat that night was the conversation we were able to have with Bob Ragan and Kyle Bowman, who led us through a lesson on imago dei and the implications of the Christian narrative of creation, fall, redemption and restoration. Ragan and Bowman were both delights to learn from, as they shared their heartfelt experiences and demonstrated what it looks like to live a life in pursuit of Christ. They shared their stories of healing from brokenness and their involvement with the ministry Re:Generation, a discipleship program aimed at recovery and healing. Ragan and Bowman exhibited what it means to first love God, and from that love to find love for yourself and others. Following this conversation, some fellows stayed late for a game night of charades, where lots of laughs were had.
On Tuesday, we resumed our work weeks. I headed to my job in public affairs consulting, and other fellows taught in classrooms, made a difference in the nation’s capital, and worked to transform their corporate workplaces and businesses. This continued into Wednesday and Thursday, as I drafted content for public relations and op-eds regarding policies and politics. Tuesday night differed from my typical weekday evenings, though. This week, I had the opportunity to attend the National Cathedral to hear a talk by a long-time favorite author of mine, David Brooks. I was able to share this night with a couple of my youth group co-leaders, and we enjoyed a night of deep conversation and Brooks’ insight into his most recent book, How To Know A Person.
Finally, Friday came around and the fellows were all excited. After planning for a trip to New York City early this year, 13 of the 15 fellows left D.C. and headed to the Big Apple for the weekend. It was fun to have a group activity outside of our normal commitments to look forward to. In NYC, we spent time enjoying fellowship and exploring everywhere from Wall Street to Times Square, the Metropolitan Museum of Art to Broadway, and lots of authentic New York City bagels and coffee along the way. Several fellows spent their college years in New York, and it was a joy to share the city with them, as they showed us around their favorite places and told stories about their time spent there.
As Christ concludes in his prayer in John 17:26, “I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” What a gift it is to spend time in fellowship and grow to know more about the Lord and who he has called his people to be. As the days continue towards May and the end of our fellows’ program - with some days trudging forward and others flying by - it is my prayer that in each interaction, be it in our fellows class, in our workplaces, or in the NOVA area and beyond, we may seek to know Christ more and to make him known through ordinary and tangible acts of commitment, unity and love.
