In today’s First Reading (Philippians 2:1-4), Paul makes an eloquent appeal for unity among the Christians of the church at Philippi. As he writes from prison, the encouragement and comfort he wishes most from them is that they, “…be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord …”. As will become clear in later readings, the Philippians, like many of the churches to which Paul wrote, had their own internal problems which were a source of sometimes deep division.
Paul proposes four motivating forces which might help them to resolve their differences:
- Their life in Christ: the over-riding element in all Christian living is our warm, intimate, personal relationship with Christ. If this is really the guiding factor in our living together, there will not be much room for serious divisions.
- Love (agape): for Christians, love is the central force in all our behavior with each other. It is the love that God has shown us in Christ, especially by his suffering and dying for us on the cross. It is the law which embraces all other laws. It is the criterion by which we judge all words and actions. Where there is genuine love between brothers and sisters in the community, there cannot be any serious divisions.
- The Spirit we have in common: the Spirit is God communicates to us the Gospel message we have received from Christ, uniting us together in a true fellowship. If we are all filled with that same Spirit, then we are going to speak and act in real harmony with each other, driven as we are by a common vision.
- Tenderness and sympathy: this expresses the deep care and concern that we have for each other. It is this encouragement, comfort, fellowship, tenderness and compassion which will dissipate any disunity and discord in the community.
If their community life can be guided by these qualities, then, says Paul, they can: “… be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord…”. This is not so much a plea for total uniformity, but rather the ability to work together towards a common goal in a spirit of tolerance and acceptance of each other.
Paul, in general, is very pleased with the church at Philippi, but if it could realize the unity that he is urging on them, that would make him completely happy.
As a step towards that unity, he gives some advice. They should be free of a competitive spirit, where different groups claim to have the truth, and have self-centered conceit (‘all out of step except me’). Such ambition or self-centeredness is destructive of real unity in the community. We must recognize that such competitiveness and conceit is not at all unknown in our own churches today.
On the contrary, the Philippians are to: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit…”. They are to be free from arrogance and self-centeredness and focused more on the needs of their brothers and sisters. They are to: “…in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others.”
That does not mean denying one’s gifts and talents, but it does mean that the love that each one has for others leads them to give preference to the needs of others. They are to have the attitude that my gifts are not to be focused on myself, but rather are to be used for the benefit of others, just as others will use their gifts for my benefit. In this way, we all gain by reaching out to each other.
All of what Paul says can be applied to our Church living today. We, too, need to be more united, more tolerant and more accepting. We, too, need to be filled with those four elements that will make any real disunity and division, as opposed to acceptable diversity and pluralism, impossible among us.
May God Bless You and Grant You His Peace!