Unity of Purpose

How did they become a team?

I hear this phrase being tossed around the corporate world: Unity of Purpose.  There are many images I get from that phrase, and most of it seem kind of, well, like a patterned buzz word with no meaning behind it.  I did have a moment of clarity when I saw the dynamic of the various superheroes of Avengers.  Each of the powerful heroes were used to working alone to manage the supervillains.  What's interesting is that until they had a single united purpose, they had no reason to work together, and largely fought among one another.

That didn't work.

It took the collective effort of each of the individuals to accomplish their purpose: the removal of Loki, the brother of Thor, and the saving of the world as we know it from his destruction.

What would be the singular purpose that unites the Church?  What crisis are we waiting for?  From what I see, we are caught up in our individual lives and not spending enough time in fellowship with others who could strengthen us.  Do we lack the ability to trust another with our deep thoughts and feelings?  Do we think we will hurt less if we walk alone?

Jesus didn't want us to walk alone.  Consider his prayer the night he was betrayed.  "I am in them and you are in me.  May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me." (John 17:23 NLT)

Jesus knew we could not do the work he gave us without having a unity of purpose.  He asked his Father in heaven for that gift of unity in the body of Christ for us.  This is perhaps best illustrated in Ephesians 4:1-16.  We cannot achieve maturity without the others who make up the complete body of the Church.  We need each other.

"He makes the whole body fit together perfectly.  As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." (Ephesians 4:16 NLT)