Ronny knows God created human beings in his image and likeness to reflect God’s glorious, holy, loving character. Ronny’s life reflects gratitude for the honour God bestows on humanity. However, Ronny also bemoans that humanity, in pride, declared its independence from God, which has resulted in broken harmony and violence, killing innocent. The arsenal of self-centeredness, self-assertion, and self-interest is destroying us. The question Ronny grapples with is: ‘Is the purpose of God to share glory with humanity a failure?’
Certainly not! God incarnated in the person of Jesus Christ to fulfil His purpose. In praying to His Father, Jesus said: “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one.” (John 17:22). Giving the gift of glory to his disciples is the cornerstone of Jesus’ prayer just before His crucifixion. Glory in the Old Testament is often referred to as the visible manifestation of God’s presence.
In John’s Gospel, glory is closely tied to Jesus’ incarnation, ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection. Jesus has given His disciples ‘glory’ to share His divine mission and the revelation of God through Him. The purpose of sharing this glory, as Jesus states, is unity. This unity reflects a profound spiritual oneness between Jesus and the Father. It speaks to the disciples’ participation in the divine life and mission, empowering them to continue Jesus’ work on earth. Ronny knows in a divided world, the disciples of Christ are challenged to embody the unity and love that stems from the shared glory of Christ.
Jesus does not merely offer a parting wish to His disciples but bestows on them, and by extension to all believers, a profound gift – the glory of participation in the divine. Are we not challenged by Jesus to know that faith is not just a personal journey but a part of a larger, holy calling to unity, witness, and love as a reflection of Christ’s glory? We sure are! Let’s live our divine calling.