That We All May Be One
/In this Sunday’s Gospel*, we get to listen in as Jesus prays. I find it touching that, as he prays for his loved ones, he includes us, so we are in his mind and heart before we’re ever a twinkle in any of our ancestors’ eyes. Lovely.
He also prays for oneness. He says, “I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them, and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me and that you loved them even as you loved me.”
In this divided, contentious world, unity sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? I feel like we’ve been talking about the divisiveness in the United States for a very long time, and nothing has gotten better. With the last presidential election, and the months following, things may have gotten even worse. I wish for something different, and I would say it’s clear that we need God’s help to get there, because we’re not doing a great job on our own.
One question that arises in me is: what does it mean to be one? It certainly does not mean sameness, because that’s not a realistic expectation, nor is it even a desire. Having a diversity of backgrounds, ways of thinking and being, customs, personalities — all the things that make people unique— not only make life interesting but add a richness to it. Also, if we didn’t think and feel and act in different ways, there would never be progress or change or forward movement. The diversity among people does make things challenging, but it also helps all of us to grow. As someone who belongs to a religious community, I can attest to this. The diversity of gifts in my community members is beautiful, but is it hard to live with difference among us? For sure. It does help me to grow, though.
There are times when it’s important to be around people who are similar. There are spaces where people of color or people from the same cultural groups or people of the same sexual orientation or gender identity need to find commonality and support in each other. It’s not the same as other kinds of minorities, but as the youngest sister in my community, I can tell you that other younger sisters are a pretty niche group. Generation X, Millennial, and Generation Z are not very well represented in religious life, but that means that when we do gather with sisters of our own generations, there’s a sense of bonding and connection right out of the gate. We often talk about the gift of not having to explain ourselves to each other. We can share life’s challenges (and community challenges), and also what makes us laugh and what gives us hope – and we are all understood. We can make cultural references and jokes and not have to explain them. Once you explain a joke, it’s just not funny anymore. There is such relief in being understood! And yet, even in this unique group, we are not the same as each other.
I also feel a deep connection with sisters in my own community of various generations from various places. The gifts of international community are many, and one of them is having sisters all over the world. My community has sisters in Madagascar, Europe, and South America, in addition to the United States. Their cultural realities, languages, and even church experiences are different than mine. And yet, when I meet them, even for the first time, I feel a deep connection with them. We are truly sisters, and we’re spiritually bonded by the vows we take; we have the same vows, spirituality, and mission no matter where we are in the world. Clearly, we are not the same, but we have an incredible experience of oneness.
So, if oneness is not sameness, what is it? What is Jesus praying for? He says he wants all of us to be one as he is one with God and God is one with him. Now, I am not going to try to get into Trinitarian theology except to say that the fact that Jesus is praying to God shows that, although they are one, they’re not the same. And we are human, not God (thank God). And Christ is within us, but we are not exactly the same as Christ.
Maybe oneness is about relationship – genuine, loving, respectful, compassionate connections. Sometimes those relationships are made more complicated because of the differences among us, but we love each other in spite of those differences. And I wonder if we can get to the point where we love each other because of our differences.
I know in my community that when I am grounded in my relationships with sisters and my relationship with God and myself, I don’t feel small-hearted or small-minded or jealous or any of that stuff. I can genuinely love and appreciate the gifts in my sisters, especially the gifts that I don’t have. Some of my nuns are incredibly artistic, and I love that about them. Some have very analytical minds and can think clearly through problems toward solutions. Some can stand up with a megaphone at a rally and inspire people to work for justice and peace in our world. I will likely show up at the rally, I will probably not make a sign or take the megaphone, but I love that there are others who can do both of those things better than I can. And I will joyfully walk with them as we march for change.
When we’re at our best, noticing and appreciating each other’s gifts, and our own gifts too, our community is better for it. Loving the diversity of gifts we have, and the diverse people who have them, does make us one, as God is one. Our spirituality and mission are not for us; they’re for the good of everyone, and when we acknowledge our diversity and love each other as one, we serve the world in the best possible ways, not only by what we do but by being who we are.
I believe that what I’m describing is just one community within a host of other communities locally, nationally, and worldwide. This dynamic of diversity and oneness is true in large-scale ways, parish communities, neighborhoods, and families. No matter our community, we find our oneness in our love for each other and our love for God. As God and Christ are one, and Christ is in us, may we be brought to perfection as one. That movement toward perfection is not really about being perfect. Community will never be perfect, but the more we love, the more we become one as God is one.
For Reflection:
What are the communities to which you belong? What are the gifts you experience among a diversity of people?
Have you ever been affirmed for your unique gifts (I hope so, because you’re awesome!)? What was that like? Were you able to receive that affirmation and take it in?
As you reflect on all of this, what’s the invitation from God for you? Maybe you could take some quiet time with God and simply listen to what God is speaking to your heart.
*This week’s reflection is on the 7th Sunday of Easter, but here are some reflections on the Feast of the Ascension if you’d like to listen to those too. :)
By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP
Sister Leslie Keener, CDP is the director of God Space, a community-building spirituality ministry in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. She’s a Sister of Divine Providence with a Masters in Ministry and a Certificate in Spiritual Direction and Retreats from Creighton University. She directs retreats, meets with people for spiritual direction, and serves as the vocation director for her community. She enjoys music, dancing, the joy of the resurrection, and Easter candy.