Boundaries

27th Week in Ordinary Time - Saturday (13 October 2018)

Galatians 3:22-29

Luke 11:27-28

“There are no more distinctions: all are one in Christ Jesus.”

I doubt if Jesus had any boundaries at all. See, for instance, his table fellowship as witnessed in the gospels. He dined with anyone and everyone. He not only ate with Pharisees, his own friends and disciples, but also with tax collectors, prostitutes and sinners. So if we are a follower of Jesus, then are no discriminations or distinctions of superiority and inferiority. As St Paul beautifully puts it in our first reading today, “There are no more distinctions between Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female, but all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” I think this is deeply true.

As a child I found difficulty in recognising boundaries, especially the man-made boundaries between countries. Are boundaries needed? This still remains a question. But still I can say with at least a bit of conviction: there are no boundaries in reality, there are only lines. There are no separations. We as humans create boundaries, separate identities, even discriminations and injustices arising from these boundaries. I find it difficult to think or imagine boundaries for this universe. Even the scientists talk about the ever expanding boundaries of the universe; this could be our model.

Yet, our lives are largely spent in drawing boundaries. And to draw boundaries is to manufacture opposites. Just to draw a boundary line is to prepare oneself for conflict. Any boundary is a conflict line. A potential battle line. All our conflicts internal and external arise from manufacturing boundaries and separations. Any division or separation is not an adequate view of reality.

Non-separation may be the only adequate way of viewing and accepting reality. Perhaps only a prayerful mind can see things in their unity and connection. Though things are not completely one, they are not two either. The fact that life and death are "not two" is extremely difficult to grasp, not because it is so complex, but because it is so simple.

Even if we find ourselves within boundaries, the best way to start is not to keep them rigid. It might be better to calmly accept and hold these boundaries. Our boundaries, if we have at all, need to keep expanding. Growth consists in expanding our boundaries, or expanding our consciousness. Human growth takes place when we are able to collapse boundaries; integrate alienated aspects of ourselves, and expand our consciousness.

Contemporary trans-national and multi-cultural societies are good instances of unity and union among us humans. This is surely one of the greatest contributions of Christianity to the world’s cultures, although unfortunately that has not yet been fully realised even in many Christian communities.

To sum up:

Although I am not God, I am not other than God either. 

Although I am not you, I am not other than you either.

Although I am not the earth, I am not other than the earth, either.

(You could create your own list.)