Sam Clear reflects on his internal journey with Christ that led him to journey the world in the name of Christian unity…

There was a particular moment in the latter half of 2005 when a number of profound experiences culminated to
leave me struck by the division amongst Christians around the world.  I was reflecting on the fact that despite all
believing in Christ; various conflicting theologies, practices, experiences, misunderstandings and belief systems
continue to cause judgment, conflict and division between Christians.  With such division it is impossible to say that
the body of Christ is united. It is broken. I don’t claim to know who is right or what true unity looks like but I was,
in that moment, so convicted of the broken body of Christ and the sadness this brings our Lord.

I stopped then and there and prayed that we (Christians) would be united as one body in truth. I then thought to
myself, “There’s nothing I can really do. This brokenness is too big.” In that moment I felt the Lord place on my
heart Luke 19: 40. I had no idea what this verse was so I had to look it up. It read; ‘Jesus answered, “I tell you
that if they keep quiet, the stones themselves will declare the Glory of God.” I quickly shut my bible.

It wasn’t really something I wanted to think about. I was happy to reflect on such things personally but the
consequences of acting upon this…well, that was scary! As it happened, it was a Sunday afternoon and the 5pm
Mass at my local parish, St Benedict’s, was approaching. I packed up my gear and headed off to Mass. I truggled to keep my focus as I thought about what I could possibly do to aid the brokeness amongst Christians throughout the world. In fact I made it through to the Gospel without even paying attention at all. Again, I came to the conclusion that the problem was too big! At that point Fr Tony, our parish priest began reading the Gospel, “A man finds a treasure buried in a field and he goes away and sells everything he owns so to purchase the field.”

That was not what I wanted to hear. Perhaps it was just a coincidence? In my heart I couldn’t deny that I was feeling called by God to action. But what action?

A call to Prayer

By the following Tuesday I still wasn’t any closer to finding peace about exactly how I should respond to what I perceived to be a strong call from the Lord.  At midday Mass I again put my confusion to God, “God, it’s too big! What could I ever do to unite Christians around the whole world?” Once I had stopped complaining I heard the Lord say into my heart, “You’re right, it is too big for you, but it isn’t too big for me. I want you to pray for unity.”

At last I felt at peace with what my action should be. I was to pray for the unity of the body of Christ; for the unity of Christians. And it wasn’t to be a prayer only for that day or that week but until either it happens or until I die. From that day I have been praying for unity and inviting people to join in prayer. ..continue