PUT ON CHRIST, IDENTIFY WITH CHRIST AND BECOME ONE IN A DIVIDED WORLD

PUT ON CHRIST, IDENTIFY WITH CHRIST
AND BECOME ONE IN A DIVIDED WORLD

Fr Luke A Veronis

One of the greatest tragedies of our modern world is that we are becoming increasingly divided. Everywhere we turn, people are encouraged to identify themselves by what separates them from others. Politics divides us. Race divides us. Nationality divides us. Economic status divides us. Generations divide us. Social media has become a machine that thrives on outrage, suspicion, and conflict. We are constantly being told, "Those people are the problem. Be afraid of them."

Fear has become one of the defining emotions of our age. Yet into a world not so different from ours, St. Paul proclaims a revolutionary message: "For in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ... There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

Our identity, our primary identity is in Christ! Before all else, we identify as one in Jesus Christ. These words astonished the earliest believers in the first century.

In the first century, the divisions between Jew and Gentile were deep. The Jews were the chosen people of God and they definitely didn’t feel a connection or union with the nations. Slaves and free people occupied opposite ends of society. Men and women lived with sharply defined roles and unequal status. These weren't merely differences; they were steep walls that separated people from one another.

What’s interesting is that St. Paul doesn't say these distinctions disappear. Jews were still Jews. Greeks were still Greeks. Men remained men. Women remained women. Rather, he says that something greater has happened. Christ has become our deepest identity. Our baptism has united us to Him and, therefore, to one another.

Notice the beautiful phrase: "As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Every time we witness a baptism, we hear these same words and they highlight how we are united to the Risen Lord Jesus Christ!

Think about what that implies. When we look at one another, we should strive to see Christ. This perspective changes everything. If I see Christ in my brother, how can I hate him? If I see Christ in my sister, how can I fear her? If I know Jesus died for this person, how can I dismiss him or write her off?

Our identity, and ultimate unity, is not based on having the same opinions. It is not based on belonging to the same political party. It is not based on the color of our skin or our nationality. It is not based on our personality or whether we agree on every issue. Our primary identity and ultimate unity comes in Jesus Christ, who has made us one Body.

St. John Chrysostom so beautifully says, "Saint Paul didn’t say, 'you have become one people,' but something far greater: 'You are all one in Christ Jesus.'" This is one of the greatest miracles of the Church.

Every Sunday we stand side by side with people who are different than us and yet whom we love. Young and old. Rich and poor. Republicans and Democrats. People born in America, Greece, Albania, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and countless other places. Successful people along with those struggling. Saints in the making together with sinners seeking mercy.

And together we approach one Chalice. Where else in the world does this happen? The Church doesn't erase our differences but transfigures them. Like the many colors in an icon, each retains its own beauty while contributing to one magnificent image of Christ.

Sadly, the spirit of the world constantly works against this. The world teaches us to ask: "What group do you belong to? Identify with this label! This difference separates you from everyone else!”

The Gospel presents a different question by asking, "Whose image do you bear?" To whom do you belong? We all bear the image of God, created in His likeness. Every single person in the world! And through baptism, we are clothed in Christ Himself. We identify with Him!

While the world says, "Be careful and protect yourself,” Christ reminds us to whom we belong, and as His child He says "Love your neighbor and treat your neighbor with kindness and respect.” When the world tells us to fear the stranger and the foreigner and the immigrant, Jesus says, "I am the stranger. Will you welcome Me?”

The world says, "Be safe and stay with people who are like you,” while our Lord continually crosses every boundary to embrace those whom society rejects. Never forget the life of Christ and how he spoke with the Samaritan woman married five time. He healed the servant of a Roman centurion. He went to the home and ate with the tax collectors and welcomed the lepers. He looked at sinners not as sinners but as lost, broken, confused people who needed healing.

Jesus never moved away from others to avoid them out of fear but approached everyone and welcomed them all into His Presence. His love is always greater than our fear! As St. John the Theologian tells us, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear."

Notice how the Evangelist doesn't say that fear disappears because the world becomes safe. Fear disappears because divine love fills our heart. Many people spend their lives trying to eliminate everything that frightens them while the saints chose another path. They filled themselves with Christ. And as Christ grew within them, fear gradually lost its power.

Archbishop Anastasios of Albania said, "Every person is a unique and unrepeatable icon of God." What a profoundly Orthodox way of seeing the world. Imagine how our interactions would change if every morning we prayed, "Lord, help me see every person I meet today as Your living icon." The difficult coworker. The illegal immigrant. The homeless person. The addict and the one struggling with mental illness. The neighbor with whom I disagree and the one on the opposite political spectrum. Even the family member who hurt me.

Every one of them bears God's image. That doesn't mean every action they take is good. It doesn't mean we ignore sin or evil. It doesn't mean we abandon truth. But it does mean we never stop seeing the sacred dignity hidden beneath everyone’s brokenness.

This is what divine love does. The world focuses on what is ugly while Christ sees what can become beautiful. Can we strive to do the same? Of course, this is what it means when we say “As many as have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ.” We identify with Christ and our mind should be formed by His mind.

So, how do we live out our identity in Christ and cultivate this spirit of oneness? First, through prayer. Every day pray for people, not only your family and friends, but especially for those who are different from you, those with whom you struggle, those whom you fear. It is very difficult to hate someone whose name you sincerely bring before God.

Second, remember what happens every time we receive the Eucharist. When we receive the same Body and Blood, St. Augustine says “We become what we receive." We are called to become the Body of Christ in the world.

Third, practice intentional encounters. Don't live inside echo chambers. Meet people who are different. Listen to them before speaking. Ask questions instead of making assumptions. Be humble and ready to discover beauty where you expected only difference.

Finally, perform one concrete act of love each day. Love grows by being practiced. Offer a kind word. Make a phone call to someone you’ve been meaning to call for a long time. Make a visit. Offer forgiveness to someone who has hurt you. Share a meal and offer hospitality. Every seemingly small act reshapes our heart into the likeness of Christ.

The world of darkness divides. The Church creates communion. The world shouts with loud voices of anger. The People of God become a choir singing of reconciliation. The world has enough fear. We, the Church, choose love.How do we identify ourselves? What is our primary identity? Remember, “As many as have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ.” Let us live up to our divine calling!