One in Christ

The unity of the Church that Jesus prayed for is much different from an organisation following single method or purpose for its good functioning. The unity of the church is from the love with which Jesus loved us. “You have loved me before the foundation of the world” is the depth of love Jesus experienced. Jesus loved us with the same love, and that is the mutual bond that unites us. What this love does is to build up the body of Christ in the work of service.

Each one of us has received a share of grace, and together we are partakers of the life of Christ. We may have overlooked the graces that are at work within us because often we understand only the crowd pulling and mesmerising phenomena as charisms. There cannot be a separate group of people who are spirit bearers of spirit filled believers. Charisms are reflected in our daily commitments and service. Each one of us reflects the nature of Christ, and only in union with one another, can we come to know and reflect the fullness of Christ. Our participation in the abundance of life the Spirit gives us, is a common possession of the whole church. These special graces which we call charisms are indeed personal experiences and lead us to a richer sense of God. It is not a private individual experience that stands separate, because charisms reflect the different organs in a single body of Christ. We need to always keep in mind that the love of God and love of neighbour is more primary, and determines the worth of all charisms and the different ministries through which these charisms are made visible. Here faith and spirituality receive new meaning. They cannot be built on ideological framework and principles. They can be understood, experienced and practiced only in the mutual bond of love that reveals more and more of Christ within us. Only within this communion we are transformed into the image of Christ in a personal way too.

Whenever we have divisions, we can understand that there are individual faith, intentions, and even individual shaping of Christ. They are guarded by our ego as precious and sacred, but they are unholy dividing walls. It is easy to transform Christ, but difficult to transform ourselves listening to the voice of the Spirit deep within ourselves. When we begin to focus on Christ, it will generate a desire deep within us to reflect Christ in us, to be united with others to reflect Christ together among us. There we have our perfect self, and full maturity in Christ. A sincere Christian conscience would always have desired and prayed, “Father, we may all be one.” This prayer is a deep longing that we may reflect the glory of God. The unity of the Church and the experience of the Holy Spirit is an ongoing Pentecost, a perpetual Pentecost renewing each one of us, filling us with the power to change, and enabling us to bear witness to Jesus in our everyday living.