"Be one"

Discourse on unity and solidarity

Dr. Michel E. Abs

Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches

Prayer is one of the most effective ways for the unity of the faith community.

But reaching the unity and the solidarity of the group requires other paths.

Unity is an end by itself, but cannot be reached without sacrifice and anguish.

The target deserves for the person to make the best attempts in order to achieve it.

Why Unity, and what are the benefits of achieving it on the life and destiny of the group?

Unity is a value in itself!

Since the beginnings of civilization, and with the first interrogations raised by mankind about the origin of the existence of man and the universe and their destiny, the human mind is in search for answers, which he found in the oneness of the universe and the oneness of the Creator. This oneness, once reached, has placed new faith aspirations and new social relations to all humankind.

The divine transfiguration appeared to creation in the form of one God we worship and thank him for his gifts, we resort to him in misfortunes, with his hands we set our destiny, and to him we return in all that we live and suffer.

The one incarnate God, then, is the final destination, the Alpha and the Omega, of the unity of the universe, the unity of creation and the unity of creatures, which are called to unite in the image and representation of the Creator.

The Holy Trinity is one incarnate God, which prompts humanity to take the form it wants, but to be one and the same in the Creator. “Be one,” the Master told us.

The same applies to the faith community. The pledge of allegiance, in its covenant, from eternity and forever, with the Creator.

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” The Master Said.

If the branch splits and does not unite with the vine, it will not bear fruit, and its fate will be desperate.

The opposite of Unity is division, fragmentation, dispersion, loss and the unknown fate.

That the believing group diversifies does not mean that it is divided. Diversity is riches, division is misery.

Lack of diversity stifles human creativity and harms human dignity and social progress.

Unity is not a lack of diversity, but rather an organization of it. What is important is for unity to remain in diversity, that is, for the group to have a unity of spirituality and path, regardless of its formation and the various ways of expressing its belief.

Only in unity does existence hold together, and the group becomes compact, solidifies and wins the struggle for survival.

Whatever the means of the transfiguration of the faith community, it is supposed to position itself within the unity path regardless of differences with their counterparts because the Lord said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand".

Whenever the group is able to diversify within the unit, "on that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you."

"Love each other as I loved you."

Either you are a compact, tenacious bundle resisting nothingness, or you will be broken stick by stick.

The decision is yours!