Paul knew how to get out of trouble. He started a quarrel between two factions of his interrogators, the Pharisees and Sadducees. The Pharisees believed in the resurrection, while the Sadducees did not. Bitter rivalries and disagreements are present in all religions and in all times. They can distract us from the more important things - loving and serving both God and other people. Quarrelling and arguing are not the same as charitable discussion intent on seeking the truth together. No one has the entire truth, each has only a part. All the parts must be joined together.

The prayer of Jesus for the unity of his followers is often misunderstood. Unity does not mean conformity - there will always be differing opinions and points of view. He was praying that his followers have the same relationship with one another and with God that he enjoyed with God the Father. Jesus lived in the Father and the Father in him; he prayed that his followers open their hearts and minds so that he and the Father could dwell in them. Jesus wants us to experience God in the same way that he did - and in this lifetime. We do not have to wait until we die. But we do have to live in Jesus and in love constantly. He was not calling for a religion separate from everyday life but a continuous way of life grounded in love and the spirit. Let us strive for unity and communion with one another and with God.