“Jesus prayed….that they may all be one.” John 17 : 20.

Society has always suffered from fragmentation and divisiveness. I dare say this is due to the pervasive spirit of greed and selfishness that infects human behavior all over the world.

You have heard it said, “United we stand, divided we fail.” This is a good maxim to embrace because unity creates order whereas divisiveness creates disorder and angst in the lives of people. Abraham Lincoln understood this well when he invoked the biblical principle, “a house divided against itself cannot stand.” ( Mark 3 : 25. Matthew 12 : 22-28. ) He elaborated on this with respect to the racial divisions in our own country back then when he pointed out that no nation can survive “half slave, half free.” It took a civil war to get beyond that kind of insidious divisiveness, yet it still raises its ugly head, from time to time. This racial divisiveness surfaced again in Charlottesville, Virginia, not too long ago.

It is no wonder then that civilizations have always enacted laws to ensure order and better relationships between citizens.

Laws are well and good and necessary for society, but laws, in themselves, ( even just laws ) cannot regulate human freedom and the human condition. Humankind needs something more.

What we need is a different kind of spirit to replace the spirit of divisiveness within us. If a person does not possess unity and harmony within how can he/she contribute to unity and harmony in society? We need that spirit of unity that draws all of us together, back to where we belong as children of the one God.

This is what Jesus offers. He is one with His Father, and His prayer is that we “may all be one” as He and the Father are one. ( John 17 :20. ) He wants us to possess His spirit of unity in our encounters with everyone.

We cannot achieve this Unity without effort. Thus we must be prepared, like Jesus, to take steps to embrace unity with others. People are separated from one another because of the many divisions created by race, religious preferences, sex, poverty, education, nationality or ideology.

Here are a few steps that we can take to foster unity with one another.

1. Begin with yourself by putting your own house in order. Meditate on the scriptures to draw strength and insight from the living word and to grow in wisdom and grace and unity.
2. Make an effort to talk to someone you don’t know, in your neighborhood, for example. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to make a new friend.
3. Always seek what you have in common with another person. Accentuate the positive and avoid gossip.
4. Celebrate together whether it be at community or worship events, at birthdays, anniversaries, marriages, baptisms, holidays, whatever. People create warm bonds of unity during celebrations.
5. Choose to live in the now, not in the past or in the future. Some people crucify themselves between two thieves, regret over the past, and anxiety over the future. You only have the present moment, so enjoy this blessing of unity when you’re with someone.
6. Contribute to a good and worthy cause. Not only will it benefit those you help. It will benefit you.

—Fr. Hugh Duffy

NOTE: Fr. Hugh Duffy will be accompanying a tour of the Holy Land and Jordan scheduled for October 30 to November 9, 2019. For more information and reservations, contact Ligia Estrada (KLC) in the U.S. at 305-842-9896