Thoughts to encourage your love of Jesus…
¹  Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. ²  Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. ³  Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. ⁴  For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. ⁵  There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶  and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all. Ephesians 4:1-6 (NLT2)

In order to bring peace, genuine peace, to souls; in order to transform the earth and to seek God our Lord in the world and through the things of the world, personal sanctity is indispensable. In my conversations with people from so many countries and from all kinds of social backgrounds, I am often asked: “What do you say to us married folk? To those of us who work on the land? To widows? To young people?” I reply systematically that I have only “one stewing pot.” I usually go on to point out that our Lord Jesus Christ preached the good news to all, without distinction. One stewing pot and only one kind of food: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work.” (1)

There is no doubt the Church is diverse.

Likewise, there is equally no doubt that it is called to be united. After all we confess that the Church Christ established is “one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.” Catholic there not referring denomination, but to the universal church, throughout time as well as throughout the world.

The question is how can we see the church, which will gather at the end of time with people from every language, every tribe, every ethnicity to praise the Lord of lords, and King of kings. How in the midst of an incredible diversity can we see unity?

I don’t think we can….

I don’t think we can if we are looking toward the diverse group. THere are too many issues, from language barriers, to cultural dissonance, to the smell of the food cooking in the church kitchen! (Not everyone likes as much garlic as i do!) People dream of this diverse unity, and attempt to force the church to create a fortaste of the diversity experienced on judgment day. We are encouraged to create strategies, layout plans, hire staff that will create the diverse look we claim is God’s will.

And what we’ve forgotten is the message of Ephesians.

We are united… when we are in Christ.

There is only one faith, that is we have only One to trust and depend on – Jesus.

The Spirit baptizes us, uniting us to Jesus’s death and resurrection, together.

And there is only one God and Father of all. In all through all, here is where unity exists! Here is where we are made one, not forced to try and be one. If we realize the blessing of God’s love, and share it with those around us.

That is why Josemaria Escriva talks of One Message. There is only one gospel, only one way to be saved. And in that salvation, we find our unity. In that sharing the reason we have hope with those around us, with our neighbors and co-workers, and those we encounter, diversity should occur. Fear of reaching out to the older lady from Japan living next door, or the Guyanese family down the street, or the German guy you work with disappears when the peace of God can be known in the midst of the trials and trauma of their lives.

The more we treasure the gift given to us… the more we want everyone to know it is for them.

This is our Lord. In Him, we are one… even as He and the Father are one…just make that known…

(1) Escrivá, Josemaría. Friends of God . Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.