WHATEVER may be
our differences and conflicts, which are
unavoidable in our life and some of which may even be
very serious, we
should always be concerned about unity, not only trying
to keep it but
also trying to build it up, even at the instance
precisely of our
differences and conflicts.
Our differences
and conflicts need not be divisive. If
handled with the spirit of Christ, they can even generate
the force to
strengthen our unity. Our unity is not uniformity. We are
not expected
to agree in everything, and much less, in the same way
and to the same
degree. Especially in matters of opinion, taste and
preferences, we
are expected to have a wide range of variety, even to the
point of
getting in conflict.
We need to live
out that ultimate desire of Christ which
he expressed in his priestly prayer just before his
passion and death.
“My prayer is…that all of them may be one, Father, just
as you are in
me and I am in you…May they be brought to complete
unity…” (Jn 17,20
ff)
This would, of
course, require us to have the same mind,
the same attitude and ways of Christ. To gather us into
one family, he
finally offered his life for us. He did not simply stop
at telling us
what is right and wrong, what is good and evil, what is
just and
unjust. Even on the cross, he offered forgiveness to
those who
crucified him.
We have to
imitate this example of Christ, his example of
true charity that goes all the way to being merciful and
magnanimous.
We know that he suffered the worst injustice in the whole
history of
mankind. While we can presume that he was most interested
in having
justice accorded to him, he eventually forewent it, since
the greater
good was the salvation of mankind.
This attitude
shown by Christ should always be ours too.
Yes, we are interested in justice, but given our human
condition that
will always be marked by weaknesses, mistakes, failures
and sin, we
should be ready to forego human justice to live out the
more important
value in our life, our love-driven unity among ourselves
as children
of God.
Thus, we have
to learn how to be patient, compassionate
and forgiving with everyone. In fact, we need to be
pro-active in this
kind of attitude, not waiting for others to somehow
deserve our
patience, compassion and mercy. We should just reach out
to them.
That is why,
St. Paul one time said: “Bear one another’s
burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal 6,2) We
have to
initiate that bearing of one another’s burdens, going
beyond the
condition of whether one deserves to be helped or not.
This does not
mean that we should not be interested in the
requirements of human justice. We should be, but always
in the context
of charity, never in anger or in the spirit of revenge.
But we always
have to remember also that our human
justice, no matter how well pursued, cannot be expected
to resolve all
our differences and conflicts. Thus, when we find
ourselves in a
dead-end insofar as justice is concerned, we should just
learn to
suffer the consequences the way Christ suffered the
consequences of
the imperfections of human justice.
In some
practical terms, to maintain unity some immediate
things to keep in mind are not to bring out the
differences in public
or even through gossips, avoid creating factions, avoid
sowing
intrigues and casting aspersions on those with whom we
may disagree
over something, etc.
Differences and
conflicts should be resolved in the proper
fora without involving those who have no interest or are
not involved
in the issues. If ever things have to be discussed in
public, it
should be done with due decorum and courtesy.
Inflammatory language
and tone can only create division. In our differences and
conflicts,
we should strive to find areas of agreement rather than
look for more
areas of disagreement.
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