In today’s Reading, we are again offered advice on how to live as a Christian community. It all sounds obvious - not bearing grudges or raising one’s voice or calling each other names - these are the things that people try to inculcate in children from an early age. Part of every child’s upbringing has to be the opportunity to develop as a social being - able to live in harmony with others. What the writer of Ephesians is advocating, however, goes beyond simply developing good manners. These are very important - but are only indicators of an inner disposition which should characterise Christians.

 

Having been born again into the spiritual family of God, our courtesy and tolerance is evidence that our inner nature is being formed in imitation of Christ. Our capacity for kindness and friendship is indicative of our desire to build a community of love and mutual forgiveness.

 

This can be hard enough in a human family - but can be even harder in a parish or other religious community. There is probably no other group which exhibits such a diversity of people than a parish. There are people from all walks of life and income brackets. There are people of different ethnic origins and cultures - others who can trace a family line back to the foundation of the parish.

 

For such a diverse group of people to be drawn into a harmonious community is indeed a divine work. It requires recognising and honouring the different gifts and bearing with the differences with grace and tolerance.

 

As such, a Christian community can offer a powerful witness to a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society - proclaiming by its very presence in a town or village that it is possible for people of different origins to live and worship together. This unity in diversity - a “rainbow people” gathered around the table of the Lord proclaims that in God there are no distinctions - only a family of children created and loved by God.