SERMON : Unity to be real must stand the severest strain without breaking

The recent history of our country has proved right the old adage: United we stand, divided we fall. And what we have lived divided has taught us that lesson the hard way, because our nation became the typical example of what James Baldwin meant in his famous words: The moment we break faith with one another, the sea engulfs us and the light goes out. You don’t want to know the time and energy it takes to light it again! As we continue to plan ahead for the New Year 2010, we ought to remember that it is when we are truly united in spirit, that we can cope with the challenges we face; only then can we talk of progress, because unity is a prerequisite for any meaningful development. A number of social analysts teach us that man is basically a social being and would easily chose to work in a teamwork united and cooperating with others. Unfortunately, what prevails in the world today is the contrary. Man seems to emphasise disunity rather than the qualities of unity. There is a negative force which continues to alienate man from the basic material roots of his existence. And this has not spared our society. We have suffered severe disunity which cost us so much in terms of human lives. That is why we, in particular, should continue to put much effort on social cohesion both collectively and individually. For us social cohesion should be the bond or “glue” that brings and keeps all people together as a nation. A very simple analysis of our society from what we have lived shows that first and foremost, a meaningful social cohesion should build on availability of the basic necessities of life. The lesson we have learnt shows that social relations between and within communities suffer when people are in bad living conditions characterized by anxiety, low self esteem, mental and physical ill-health. The second basic tenet of social cohesion is order, safety and freedom, tolerance and respect for other people. The third dimension is building people’s sense of belonging to a society and the strength of shared identities and values. Last but not least, the need to maintain the sense of social equality due to equal access to opportunities and the quality of life or future life chances. In his first letter to Corinthians 12:12-30, St Paul teaches us the individual’s responsibility as far as building and safeguarding the unity of the community is concerned. He uses the analogy of the human body and its different parts to show how our unity is necessitated by the logic of interdependence: If the foot would say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? What Paul is saying is very close to our daily experience; man’s social interdependence enables him to test his faith and to prove himself in the community because without the impulse of the individual, the community would stagnate, just as the individual would not survive without the sympathy and support of the community. In our particular case and knowing our history, listening to the words of St Paul may make us even more sceptical on the possibility of functioning as one body. But on the other hand, these challenges are tests which should strengthen our unity and make it more resistant to further fragmentation. This is exactly what Mahatma Ghandi used to repeat time and again in his speeches as he meditated on the task of uniting his own country: For unity to be real, it must stand the severest strain without breaking. What St Paul tells us is in the same line; we must find a way of fostering unity with our inherent diversity. Any change which may perpetuate our alienation from nature and from each other would be against the very unity we are looking for. Unity in diversity as an expression of togetherness without uniformity, and diversity without fragmentation is possible where there is the will. Michael Novak, in Unity in Diversity: An Index to the Publications of Conservative and Libertarian Institutions, tells us that unity in diversity is the highest possible attainment of any civilization, it remains a testimony to the most noble possibilities of the human race. For us this attainment can be possible through passionate concern for a united community, through a true atmosphere of social trust, respect and tolerance of our differences. As responsible citizens therefore, we have reasons to hope that when we shall reach such a unity, it shall have stood the test of time and fit to be called real. Ends