St Paul says to the Galatians, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."
Does this mean that we are all interchangeable? If we are all one in Christ, does that mean it doesn't matter who does what, just as long as it gets done?
Many people seem to think that when St Paul says this, we can conclude that anyone can be a priest because we are interchangeable. This cannot be right. If your wife were replaced with a man something would be wrong. If men and women are interchangeable then there can be no children because two men cannot have children, nor two women.
But if we are not interchangeable, how can we be one in Christ? There is only one Christ, so if we are one then our differences aren't really differences, are they? If our differences aren't really differences, then we must all be the same.
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This cannot be what St Paul means. He says:
"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness."
Clearly we are meant to do things and each human being has been equipped with different gifts to do the will of God. God has created us to be individuals but he has also created us to be in community. We are the water jars that stand in the kitchen at the wedding in Cana. We are all individuals but the water of our human nature becomes transformed into wine when we allow the same Holy Ghost to dwell in us. This is the beauty of the sacrament of our Baptism. We are baptised with water but Christ transforms that water with the same Holy Ghost that He breathes out onto His disciples. Although we are different jars, we have the same spirit dwelling in us. This doesn't mean that the Holy Ghost replaces our soul. It infuses our soul. The water is still in the jar but Christ adds to it to make wine in the same way as the tea-bag turns hot water into tea by infusing it.
And this is how we are united in Christ. We are different; we have different rôles to play; we have different gifts to do the will of God. But Christ adds to us His very self in order to unite us, like the hub unites the spokes of a wheel. There are differences in gifts, and differences in function, but the same Spirit of God. In Christ, man and women are united but not confused; slave and free are united but the world will view them no differently; Jew and Greek are united but the Jew will follow the Torah and the Greek his reason to worship God.
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Only when we pass through into Eternity will we see how united we are with each other and appreciate how much we need and love each other. If we are to be united but remain different then we have to anticipate that we may be united with people who hurt us: we don't get that choice. We just have to trust that whatever God adds to us and to the ones who hurt us will make perfect reconciliation. We have to be open to this reconciliation. We have to forgive even as we are forgiven.
In Christ, our differences will be united, but not confused. We will be who we are, but better.
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