Gospel: John 17: 20-26
If one listens to Christian apologists, the source of disbelief is always some outside malevolent force in the world: the devil, secularism, liberals, communists, modernists, freemasons. It is never the actions or example of Christians or the Church itself that are the cause of disbelief. Scandals in the Church are always explained away and the victims always blamed for leaving the Church.
In today's Gospel portion, Jesus states clearly that it is solely the example of his followers that lead to belief or disbelief. May they be one so people can believe that Jesus came from God. That was Jesus' plea. It's opposite is equally true: the disunity of Christians leads people to disbelief in Jesus and God. There is no blame placed on the devil or any other outsiders. The cause of belief and disbelief lies solely at the feet of Christian example.
There had been a time when this unity was earnestly labored for and prayed for, but those days are now gone. The religious wars have once again returned. The emphasis on creedal statements, codes of law, dogmatics, liturgical minutia, and political loyalties occupy the field to take part in a blood sport people stopped watching long ago. Only the path of living love and mercy in imitation of the Lord Jesus will lead to authentic unity and attraction of others to religion and spirituality.
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