Unity in diversity:
Challenge to affirm truth while loving one another

		Living the Scriptures  with St. Paul University  Catholic Center  Andre Lesperance

A friend recently told me that he thinks God seems to like changing things up; His modus operandi is to do things in as many different ways as possible. When I think about it, I think my friend is exactly right.

God is infinite, and it constantly amazes me just to look at his creation and ponder how someone could create trillions of places, beings, and objects without repeating himself once. No two rocks are identical, much less human souls. There is astounding diversity in God's creation.

Yet from my own experience as a sinful human being, I know all too well that it is precisely this human diversity that can make it so tough to get along sometimes. From the little things like differing with my wife in opinion about wearing shoes in the house, right on up to societal structures, cultural norms, and religious beliefs.

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 30, 2006) 2 Kgs 4:42-44 Ps 145:10-11, 15-16, 17-18 Eph 4:1-6 Jn 6:1-15

As I read the Scriptures, I can't help but notice the frequency of the call for unity among God's people. In today's second reading St. Paul charges the Ephesians to "preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all" (4:3-6).

For as much diversity as there is in God's creation, there is simultaneously a call for all of the diverse parts to function together as one.

This call for a "unity in diversity," the way a body functions as one unit but is composed of distinct parts that play varied roles, is for me one of the hardest directives of the Christian life. I so often either try to subordinate others' way of doing things to mine in a spirit of elitism, or else I spend my time wishing I had someone else's gifts in a spirit of envy.

Meanwhile, St. Paul goes on to say that "grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift" (Eph 4:7). When I learn to recognize the part of the body that I play, and marvel with respect and appreciation at the other parts of the body that I do not play, I think I'm starting to see things the way God intended.

Despite the fact that God changes things up quite a bit, this reading reminds me that diversity is not to be an end-in-itself; that is, celebrating diversity without affirming any truth does not get us very far.

	Reflection questions • What gifts has God given me, and how can I faithfully develop these gifts for God's glory? • What is one gift I see in others that I do not have?

St. Paul affirms seven "ones" in this passage: one body, Spirit, hope, Lord, faith, baptism, and God. I think the key here is that while God is one, all of his creation reflects part of his infinite goodness in different ways. The challenge for us is to affirm the truth of God through loving one another and functioning as a true unity in diversity - the Body of Christ.

Andre Lesperance is the director of student ministries at St. Paul University Catholic Center on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. He lives in Mount Horeb with his wife Jackie and his new son Elijah, born June 24, 2006..

St. Paul's Web site is www.stpaulscc.org

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