NO MORE DISCRIMINATIONS, SINCE WE ARE ONE IN CHRIST

XII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gal 3:26-29

No discrimination

To speak about equality and fight against discrimination is taken for granted in this twenty first century. We would not have it otherwise. However, in spite of being an universally accepted truth with political and social implications, we still find plenty of cases of inequality and discrimination based on race, religion, gender or social status. 

We won’t be surprised by the words that Paul wrote to the Galatians: 

"There are no more distinctions between Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female" (Gal 3:28). 

In fact, some people accuse Paul of doing too little and of being too conformist with the prevalent values of his time. Such accusations are very much unfair to Paul, since he did not live in this time of ours, and we cannot judge him by the present day standards.

A revolutionary thinking

Paul's teaching was revolutionary not only for his time, but also for many centuries to come. We must remember that discrimination and slavery were prevalent in the Roman society, and that the wealth and glory of the Roman Empire were built to a great extent on slavery. To teach that there is no distinction between slaves and free people or between men and women was political and social madness and constituted very dangerous talk indeed. His teaching was so out of the accepted principles that it would take centuries to be seen as the standard practice that cannot be disputed. Paul proclaimed a radical equality between all human beings without any discrimination, be it based on religion, race, gender or social condition.

One in Christ

Paul bases his revolutionary thinking on the faith in Jesus Christ. All of us become children of God "through faith in Christ Jesus", and in baptism we were "clothed in Christ". So in Christ, all of us are one.

Human beings are a hard nut to crack. They may talk and philosophise about all kinds of issues and even attain the correct thinking, without changing their attitudes, in order to serve their interests. That's why we still find so much discrimination everywhere, even in Church. Today, Paul is calling us to examine ourselves and our society, and to make the necessary changes in our attitudes.