"Unity..........................."

Many years ago I sat in a Sunday school class under a teacher who declared it impossible for two believers to give the Gospel to others unless they both held the same theology. To which I replied, “Give him to me. We’ll just share Christ and discuss our differences later.” Last night found me seated with six others around a rectangular table in the rectory at Holy Cross, invited by a friend to join his weekly men’s group. It was an enjoyable experience for me, albeit a bit uncomfortable at first, realizing dogma separated us somewhat and an initial request for us to share ten minutes of silence leaving me praying only that the cellphone inside my jacket wouldn’t suddenly come to life with “Anchors Aweigh”. There were seven of us there, three, including me, possessing obvious longevity, Father Barnes positioned where he could easily direct questions to all concerning Ron Rolheiser’s book, “Sacred Fire”. My original intention was to say little, listen a lot, and to simply show my gratitude for being there at all. Prayer, beforehand, sought His presence to use my tongue should it operate in any manner, knowing the differences in dogma and my ability to “open mouth, insert foot”. As it happened, as I should have known, when swords aren’t drawn and nobody’s out to clone the other fellow’s experience, the Holy Ghost in each of us attracts our individual flames, making us one in Him. Freedom was there to speak openly, Jesus the center of what was shared and alive in those words that came forth. The “Tower of Babel” operated in reverse, linguistics unable to divide the truth of Jesus connecting us through the Cross. What an evening, a banquet, indeed, and a privilege to be with others, He in our midst. We, it seems to me, make our own walls. He passes through them……