The Father and I Are One

Again the Jews were divided because of these words. Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why listen to him?” Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” John 10:19-30 

People are spitting in a vial, sending it off and paying good money to know who they truly are and where they come from. DNA analysis like this has only happened in my life time, so people before us had to know their story, their history. My people, the Cherokees, have wonderful origin stories and we tell our children these stories so they know who they are. Yet so many Americans have no idea of their origins and their people hid who they were or made things up. Most people know little or nothing about their identity, since their parents did not share with them.

Jesus knew who he was without DNA or any other testing kit. He was being testing by the religious leaders after they had grilled a man whom Jesus had healed. They wanted him to be a sham with a made-up identity. Yet Jesus was aware of his DNA, spiritual and physical. He was embedded in the heart of God. And we are reminded that no matter our origin and family, we too are embedded in the heart of God.

Today, I ask God to help me live as a member of the family. May we all live and thrive knowing that we are embedded in the heart of God, the source of all healing, love and transformation.