Robert Atkinson has written a captivating book on what he sees as a new worldwide movement toward oneness, toward connectedness, toward global unity. The subtitle of the book is “From Duality to Interconnectedness to Oneness.” This subtitle reflects his thoughts on society’s move away from concentrating on our separateness, our tribalism, and our “who’s in and who’s out” way of thinking toward a concentration on our sameness, our connection, and relationship.
Though he comes from a different faith perspective than I do, there is much we have in common, which is really the point of his book. We can have unity in diversity. Atkinson says this means, “honoring our diversity within our common heritage as human beings, and safeguarding our differences while recognizing we are more alike than unalike.” Atkinson challenges us to see what we have in common and build from there.
Each faith community is working toward the betterment of the world around them, so let’s start there. Each faith community is working toward developing a culture of service, instead of one of violence and prejudice, so let’s start there. As Atkinson says, “Any step that can be taken in our regular, everyday interactions toward anyone different in any way than us is to remove barriers that have been put up between us by others. Joining hands across differences is the sacred activism of our time.” Removing barriers instead of building them, this is what our world desperately needs at this time.
As Jesus inspired us in John 17:23 “I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me,” may we inspire others by walking this path of connection and love. As Jesus continues to say in verse 26, “So that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” The love from the Creator, poured out into all the world, through us.
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