“Unity is not uniformity but sharing a common mindset and a common belief.”
Girmay, from Jerusalem
For me, Christian unity is to bring Christians together to love one another as God loves us, so that they may proclaim as such the Good News to the world. God’s desire is to see us united, not divided. Jesus prayed such thing for all the faithful: “that they may all be one” (John 17:21).
While the desire and prayer of God is unity, Christians seem to be one of the most divided communities on earth. The doctrinal differences and arguments among Christians have had a huge negative impact on the faith of some. It sometimes confuses non-believers and believers as well, and can be one of the reasons behind the latter’s loss of faith.
On the other hand, a Christian is someone who believes in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ through His acts and His Paschal mystery. A Christian is not just someone who goes frequently to church, but also someone whose behavior and heart reflect Jesus Christ, by being gracious and merciful to others.
Unity is not uniformity but sharing a common mindset and a common belief. This truly is being “undivided”. Unity is what Jesus prayed for, what He says will be our greatest witness to the world. As Saint Peter puts it, “Finally, all of you, be of one mind, sympathetic, loving toward one another, compassionate, humble.” (1 Pt 3:8).
Today, I thus believe that it is fundamental to make this Christian unity a priority. The world has taken advantage of our divisions, and many have, as a result of this apparent lack of unity, left their religious practice behind or lost interest in it. We need to place greater emphasis on ecumenical dialogue, to stop dividing ourselves into multiple branches. Let us strive for complete communion among believers in Christ. If we do not all come to a unity of faith, the knowledge of the truth and the understanding of the Word of God will be difficult. The Lord will be pleased when we worship and praise Him in unity, no matter our denomination. The Psalms sing it well: "How good and how pleasant it is, when brothers dwell together as one!" (Ps 133).
May the Lord help us to achieve full communion as true Christians, enabling us one day to gather together at the same Eucharistic table.
