The aim of our life is to unite with Christ. “The Lord Jesus is the prototype and foundation of the new humanity. In him, the true ‘likeness of God’ (2 Cor 4:4), man — who is created in the image of God — finds his fulfilment.”

If we live truly in unity with Christ, race, culture and other differences cannot be causes of divisions and disagreement in a society. “In the definitive witness of love that God has made manifest in the cross of Christ, all the barriers of enmity have already been torn down (cfEph 2:12-18), and for those who live a new life in Christ, racial and cultural differences are no longer causes of division (cf Rom10:12; Gal3:26-28;Col 3:11).”  Our love towards God emerges and acts in us when we begin to love our neighbour as we do ourselves.

Often because of our differences, real or perceived there are disagreements. These disagreements can often lead to divisions in societies and within families.

However, as Christians called to live in unity with Christ, we are called to live in fellowship with each other and to treat each other with love and mutual esteem.

While the importance of some of the things which divide us are not to be ignored and must be treated with, solutions to these problems will come easier if we all focus on living in unity in Christ.

Despite our differences in opinion, culture, financial means and geographic location we must remember that we are all God’s children called together to celebrate our oneness of body in Christ. One of God’s greatest gifts to us is fellowship.

This fellowship was not achieved through our own efforts.  God created it and for us to preserve it we must have a relationship with God himself. We must do everything to preserve it in spite of our differences.  It is in fact these differences that provide the opportunity to fully understand our oneness in God’s creativity and variety.

“Thanks to the Spirit, the Church is aware of the divine plan of unity that involves the entire human race (cf Acts 17:26),a plan destined to reunite in the mystery of salvation wrought under the saving Lordship of Christ (cfEph1:8-10) all of created reality, which is fragmented and scattered.

From the day of Pentecost, when the Resurrection is announced to diverse peoples, each of whom understand it in their own language (cf Acts 2:6), the Church fulfils her mission of restoring and bearing witness to the unity lost at Babel. Due to this ecclesial ministry, the human family is called to rediscover its unity and recognise the richness of its differences, in order to attain “full unity in Christ”.

Next week we end the biblical aspect of the international community with a discussion on the universal vocation of Christianity.  

Persons interested in purchasing the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, can contact the Justice Desk, Archbishop’s House – 622-6680. Also on sale at the Justice Desk are the Take a Bite Social Justice Programme on DVD and Responses to 101 Questions on Catholic Social Teaching.