Cor unum et anima una

THE expression is taken from the Acts of the Apostles

(4,32). It means “one heart and one soul.” It was used to describe the

way the early Christian believers lived. The full text is as follows:

“Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul,

and no one said that any of the things that belongs to him was his

own, but they had everything in common.”

   

            This is the spirit of unity we should develop and have in

any grouping we may belong to, be it a family, a class, an office, a

community, etc. Our sense of unity should not just be in the level of

the physical, professional, social, political, etc. It should involve

our heart and soul. In other words, it should involve our whole being.

  

            Can this spirit of unity be doable, given the tremendous

amount of differences we have with each other, let alone, our

unavoidable conflicts? The quick answer may be No, or at least, that

it is doubtful. But if we go by our Christian faith and realize that

our spirit of unity has to be founded on God, then it is possible.

Precisely the early Christians managed to live it. They lived “cor

unum et anima una.”

  

            We need to realize that the spirit of unity we are talking

about here is not uniformity which can only take place when things are

taken only in their physical aspects. It is a spirit of unity that

allows for plurality and variety, where differences are acknowledged

and even promoted but used for a common end.

  

            It is a spirit of unity that is spiritual and moral in

character. It is a very dynamic spirit, ever active and reactive to

any situation, since it is animated by Christian love that can take on

anything. It is always in the process of composing and recomposing

itself as it responds to the changing demands of the times.

            This spirit of unity can only be made possible when it is

rooted on the unity of God who are three persons in one God. Let’s

remember that we are God’s image and likeness, made children of his

through his grace. We are meant to reflect in our life that unity of

the Trinitarian God who is full of goodness, love, truth, justice,

etc.

  

            This spirit of unity which we should try to live in any

grouping we may belong to is never one that leads to elitism. This

spirit, if truly inspired by unity of the Trinitarian God, will always

have a universal scope, eager to understand and love everyone,

including those who may consider themselves as our enemies.

  

            In fact, we don’t restrict ourselves in any grouping only.

Our spirit of unity should cover more and more areas and levels, until

we reach the universal family of God, the complete communion of

saints.

              We need to develop the appropriate attitudes and skills to

develop this kind of spirit of unity. We have to learn to listen to

everyone, including those whose views may different from ours. We have

to sharpen our social skills, always thoughtful of the others, knowing

how to empathize and sympathize, how to be understanding and

compassionate.

             From merely sharing things, let’s move toward giving

ourselves to others more and more. Let’s not be afraid of the

sacrifices involved. Let our differences and conflicts stir the

dynamic of complementation. Let’s trust more in Christ’s words that

the more we give, the more we will receive from him.

  

            It would be good if we pause from time to time to consider

our duties of building up and strengthening this spirit of unity,

giving more teeth to our desires for it. We can always come up daily

with one concrete detail, no matter how small, to further this duty of

ours.