WORD 2day: Wednesday, 5th week in the Easter time
May 21, 2025: Acts 15: 1-6; John 15: 1-8
We see a conflict arising in the Early Christian Community - two factions: the Conservatives and the Progressives. When the conflict arose, they immediately fall back to the roots, they come together and resolve it. The moment conflict arose they thought of getting together and not splitting into groups - that is a Christian Attitude.
What we see today in the first reading is what we could call the Council of Jerusalem, the first ever Council of the Church... the first precedent to a special jubilee we celebrate this year: the 1700th year of Council of Nicea, a very crucial Council that took place in 325 AD. Councils have been a Christian way of looking at a common resolution during conflicts - steps that have led to the spirit of synodality we speak of much today.
A truly Christian attitude of conflict resolution is an attitude of unifying, a promotion of solidarity, a strengthening of bond and an assurance of fellowship. The growing number of denominations and divisions within the so-called Christian Community, is a counter witness, says the erstwhile encyclical Evangelii Nuntiandi. The greatest scandal to the world is a divided Church.
It is not so difficult for us to get back to our communion even amidst all conflicts because we are all branches grafted on to a single vine: Jesus Christ! I am the vine says Jesus today, inviting us all to resolve our differences in him. The more we are ready to get back to Christ and remain united in the One Lord, the more Christian we remain.