The world today lacks unity. To give just a few examples, we see this in the divisions that sometimes exist within families, among neighbours and between Churches and communities. It seems that polarisation prevails over understanding. This is a consequence of the growth of individualism that drives people to decide and act on their own behalf in a way that benefits their interests and personal prestige. This gives little value to the needs and rights of others.

And yet, it is possible to experience unity. It is a journey that always begins by taking small steps and with a “yes” that we say within: yes to welcoming, yes to forgiving, yes to living for others. It is not about grand projects but about small but faithful actions that, over time, transform a life, a community or an entire environment. And when that happens, we realise that fraternity ceases to be an ideal and becomes a visible reality and hope for all.

Martin Buber considers unity to be relationship. He states that it is the space of encounter, that exists between You and I, a sacred place where differences do not disappear but are mutually recognised. For him, unity arises when two realities allow themselves to be touched and shaped by the other and not when one imposes itself. This “between” can be understood as a space that welcomes diversity and, precisely for this reason, becomes a source of communion. Hence, for Buber, “All true life is encounter” (Ich und Du, 1923).

Therefore, in other people – whether friends, family members or just someone we meet along the way – we can discover the great ‘opportunity of relationship’. Other people ‘save us’ and enable us to go beyond our fears when we feel overwhelmed by a difficult situation.
Living for unity means walking together despite our differences, transforming them into treasures rather than obstacles. It is an invitation to move from simple coexistence to encounter, where reciprocity enables what belongs to each person to become new because the relationship means it is shared. Unity, understood in this way, is not the sum of the two nor is it fragility that causes us to lean on others: it is strength that generates the hope that there is still a tomorrow. Diversity is no longer disunity, but mutual richness. It is feeling that what happens to others also resonates in me. ‘Union does not consist in equality, but in harmony,’ Rabindranath Tagore reminds us.

This month, may we experience the joy, light, life, peace and hope that come from unity that is lived

If we are one, we see things differently.

Photo: © JGC-CSC Audiovisivi

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THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently produced by the Focolare Movement’s “Centre for Dialogue with People of Non religious Beliefs”. It is an initiative that began in 2014 in Uruguay to share with non-believing friends the values of the Word of Life, i.e. the phrase from Scripture that members of the Movement strive to put into practice in their daily lives. Currently, THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries, with adaptations of the text according to different cultural sensitivities. dialogue4unity.focolare.org