Unite behind our Savior, Jesus Christ

Do you ever wonder how we can unite with so much divisiveness in our world today?

This divisiveness can cause hate against others, which not only separates us from each other, but also separates us from God. First John 4:20 succinctly puts it: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”

Evangelization is the love for Jesus which resides deep within our hearts that we are commanded to share with others, but we need to make sure that it shines brightly for everyone to see. Do we allow that love to be coated by hostility toward others because they think differently or believe in other platforms, politics or ideologies?

For me, it’s about perspective — what if we focus on commonalities rather than differences? We all have more in common than different. One of the five human commonalities is that all people are looking for love and belonging — we need meaningful relationships. In the simplest of terms — that’s what evangelization is. It is our love for Christ, love for others, and the sense of belonging we experience and then share with others. May that love in our hearts not be clouded by our secular world differences. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we should all have a united goal — to grow in our personal relationship with Christ and help each other make salvation a reality. Imagine if we all operated with a renewed sense of urgency and with the kind of zeal as if Jesus physically stood in front of us and commanded us to go out and make disciples of all nations.

Be not afraid! The time is now — we must unite behind the cross of Jesus’ self-emptying love, put others first and not let worldly divisiveness overshadow our mission of sharing His self-sacrifice. Ima­gine modern-day disciples filled with the power of the Holy Spirit like the first Apostles after Pentecost. It’s not going to be easy, but all things are possible through Christ. Let’s start practically — we must focus on the family. The domestic Church needs to be nurtured now more than ever. We must be more proactive and intentional in supporting families in every way possible to recognize God’s unconditional love.

When all is said and done, we need to rally behind what unites us — our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Please join me in prayer: My dearest Jesus, please forgive me for the times I underestimate your power. May I have increased awareness of your presence in my life. Jesus, I trust in you — please bring healing and love to this world through my words and actions.

Please contact me with any questions about boosting evangelization efforts at your parish at [email protected] or by visiting https://www.rcda.org/evangelization. Follow me on Instagram: tom_rcda