Division And Unity

A Reflection on the Second Reading for July 3rd, 2022
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Galatians
6.14-18

Brothers and sisters: May I never boast of anything except the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything!

As for those who will follow this rule — peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.
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The book of Galatians is one of my favourites. That might sound strange at first, since on its face, it’s a book about circumcision — not a topic I usually think about a lot! But like all scripture, it’s also about so much more. For me, Galatians is about belonging. The early Church struggled to decide what it meant to be a follower of Jesus: Jesus and His Apostles were Jewish, but as the Gospel spread, it quickly began to draw in Gentiles as well. Debates raged and dissension tore communities apart. Sadly, this is timeless. We human beings are particularly talented at finding something different about others, dividing ourselves into groups, and then treating the other group cruelly.
 
Paul’s answer to this problem of division is clear: we boast only in the Cross. Hidden within the divisions we make is always the sin of pride, the belief that falling into one camp makes us better than those in the other. I personally often find it hardest to love my political enemies — those who advocate for policies and practices that I strongly feel are wrong. I take pride in my views and too often I ascribe cruel or evil intentions to those who disagree with me. When I feel proud and boastful of my political views, or of anything other than the Cross, I have gone astray.
 
This reading is a reminder to us that God’s salvation is for all. It was not just for the Jewish people, but Gentiles too. It is not just for me, but for those on the other side of the aisle, too. In Christ, we are new creations. That doesn’t mean we are all the same — just the opposite! If each of us are unique and each of us reflects the image of God, then our diversity is a crucial part of being the Body of Christ. We all belong because we belong to Him. Paul addresses the readers of his letter to the Galatians as “brothers and sisters” twice in this short reading alone. That is what we are — siblings in Christ, alike because of the Divine Parent who loves us, no matter how different we may be. Only He can reconcile us to one another and bring our divisive spirits together.




Jenna Young
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