By preserving the unity of the Spirit we can serve as Christ's Body in this world.

Friday, 10/21/16

In his letter to the Ephesians Paul urged us to preserve the unity of the Spirit, saying that we are one Body.

Paul keeps coming back to this favorite theme of us. He saw Jesus as living on in this world through his church, which he saw as his body still alive and working through us. The Holy Spirit is the soul of that body. We “preserve the unity of the Spirit,” by working harmoniously together to accomplish the work that Jesus was doing when he was physically with us.

Older people like me remember John Foster Dulles, who was the successful Secretary of State under Eisenhower. His son Avery went on to be ordained a Catholic priest, and eventually he became Cardinal Avery Dulles. In 1977 he published a book he called “Models of the Church." Its theme was that Jesus at one time or another identified himself as our Friend, as our Servant, as our Teacher, as our Pastor as our Way to the Father.

Avery’s thesis was that under the promptings of the Spirit, we can become Christ’s body, living on in the world as Friend, Servant, Teacher, Pastor and Way to the Father.