Ukrainian Orthodoxy		Orthodoxie ukrainienne

Be United!

Very Reverend Ihor Kutash kutash@unicorne.org

(Eighth Sunday after Pentecost)

In today's Epistle (I Corinthians 1:10-18) the Apostle Paul makes an exhortation to do something which appears to be virtually impossible. He says: "I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and same judgement".

Anyone who works in an organization or is active in a Church or who tries to build up good relations among all the members of his or her own family knows how very difficult - how nearly unthinkable this is. Every one has things that he or she likes and they are sometimes quite different from the things that others like. It is the same in every area of human activity.

And then we can add other things as well. There are different traits of character and some of them rub other people the wrong way. People try to be tolerant but it is not easy and we do not always have the patience or the determination to pursue the road of tolerance and acceptance of differences.

Nonetheless the ideal to which Saint Paul calls people is truly in accord with the Message of our Lord Jesus Christ who prayed for the union of all (see John chapter 17). We, His Church, pray for the same thing in each Divine Liturgy. Listen for it.

To listen to some Christians speakers it seems that Jesus came to separate people into good and bad - and the good ones are the ones that are in our group, they seem to say. It is true that there are divisions that come about even (some might say especially) among the followers of Jesus. But Jesus did not come into the world to give us another means of separating ourselves from other people, so that we could feel superior to others and judge and condemn them. He did come to unite all the world around the Truth - and He Himself is the personification of Truth.

If we can orient our lives around His words and His example, this will prepare the way for a unity deeper and wider than anything the world has ever known. The Truth, you see, is not a set of propositions: it is THE PERSON OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Let us decide - or let us renew the decision - to work hard and continuously primarily within our own hearts and minds to make this unity possible among the members of our family, our Church, our community and all the inhabitants of planet Earth.

God will help us by His Holy Spirit, Who leads us to wakefulness and repentance, so that He might work THROUGH US, with all of our gifts, with all of our experiences, with all that we are and ARE BECOMING to accomplish His wonderful plan for the transformation of the whole universe.

And so what Paul asks us to do is NOT unthinkable or impossible. It is difficult and it may not be what we WANT to do. But it is not important to WANT to do what is right: we must DO what is right whether we WANT TO OR NOT. In fact the more difficult a matter is, the more reluctant we are to do it, the greater the benefit to the world and to ourselves - and the greater the joy of the Lord who thus sees in action the love we must have for Him and His creation. Let us DO it. As of today let us start preparing in ourselves the way for the perfect unity of the children of God.

[ Home ] [ Articles ] [ Prayer ] [ Saints ] [ Theophilus ] [ Q & A ] [About Us] [ ]