Today is the Sunday of the 2nd Ordinary Week. We pray for Christian Unity. The theme is:
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18a)
I am not in the position to comment on the teachings of the other religions. But I can confidently make the statement that Christian doctrines are prone to heresies. We believe in One God, yet there are Three Persons. We believe in Jesus who is God and man at the same time. Our God is all-knowing and almighty yet He allows evils to happen. We Catholics honour Mary as the Mother of God! etc. If we stress too much on one point, we easily fall victim to heresies. It is really very difficult to keep to a middle path, to maintain a proper balance of apparent contradictions in our beliefs.
In the Last Supper , Jesus prayed "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me" (John 17:21) This ideal of unity is noble. But the fact is, throughout the centuries, Christians have been splitting ever since the disciples started evangelising the world. Is it a bad thing?
I believe that Christian schism is necessarily not a bad thing. Peoples are different and each one of us is unique. We have different personalities and respond differently to the same message. We embrace and cherish different experiences. In a way, diversity is suitable and good for us. Had the Church been one and uniform in human history, less people would have accepted the faith of Christianity and be saved. Haven't we read the parable of the Mustard Seed that it grows and shoots out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it (Mark 4:32)? So it seems to me that Christian schism is a necessary evil.
Let's not forget the prophecy of Second Isaiah. "... I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth" (Isaiah 49:6). As long as Christians are a light to the Gentiles, it is perfectly acceptable (to me at least) for Christians to remain split. Christians should give thanks for this circumstance.
My God, I thank You for allowing me to know You. I am proud to be called a Christian and live among a community of fellow Christians. I pray for the unity of Christians to give light to the world. I pray that we put aside our differences in liturgy, in theology and in services and work towards a unified front to proclaim the good news of Christ. I pray that we work hand in hand in charity and social justice so that the world may know You, our Father of all humanity. Amen.
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