Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter
(Acts 22:30. 23:6-11; John 17:20-26)
As wonderful as unity may sound, it cannot be an ultimate
value alone. Russia has been mostly
unified in support of the invasion of the Ukraine. Still the aggression qualifies as a moral and
social atrocity. In today’s gospel Jesus
prays not just for unity, but unity in him and the Father. He wants his disciples and their converts to experience
the love of his relation to the Father.
Unity in love is often found in families undergoing a
hardship. The prospect of giving birth
to a child with Downs Syndrome causes many couples dread. Yet their families are more likely to pull
together to care for disabled child. That
child neediness draws out the family’s love.
Also, her or his affection relays love to the others.
We do not have to agree with everyone to have unity. But there is a limit to how much difference can be tolerated. That limit is sometimes expressed in this way: “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”
