Communion and Separation
“Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” Jesus replied, ‘Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mark 9: 38-40). God’s creation thrives in communion because all life comes from God. We thrive in communion with God, others and with ourselves. Whenever we value, respect, honor, and empower others, we promote life, for in doing so, we live out the fundamental mystical truth in life, namely, “what is in One is in the Whole”. That is why, in Jesus Christ, all are children of God. There are no longer Jews or Gentiles, male or female, free or slaves, for all have been marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit. It is true, therefore, that “whoever is not against us is for us” because such people are promoting communion. On the other hand, sin is separation from communion. Every sin negatively impacts communion – with God, others, and oneself. Think of when family members are torn apart by greed, jealousy, and envy! Or a church where cliques and “tribal consciousness” reign supreme! Or a so-called friendship in which one person is more concerned about what he or she gets than the other person’s welfare in the relationship! In such relationships, communion is wounded, and the soul is not fed. That is why Jesus insists that whatever will make us sin should be cut off, even if it is any part of the body! These are strong words. But they indicate how seriously we should take our communion with God and others and do our best not to hurt it or teach others to do so. Relationships today are marked by all forms of selfishness. Our relationship with God is often highly transactional: “God, I am doing this for you; you better do this for me!” Communion! Communion!! Communion!!! That is what we are created for, and we suffer greatly whenever we lose or hurt it! May we always experience this grace in our relationships, family, church, and society. Amen
Fr Okeke