They showed us unusual kindness (Acts 28:2)
The material for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2020 was prepared by the Christian Churches of the Islands of Malta and Gozo. The theme is based on distressing experience of St Paul at sea by reflecting on how people of different languages, cultures or religious beliefs extend their hospitality to one another to achieve unity.
First of all, the 276 people on board can be divided into several different groups. The centurion and his soldiers are in power. But they have to rely on the skills and experience of the sailors. Although everyone feels endangered and afraid due to the huge storm, Paul and the other prisoners are the most vulnerable ones. Under extreme stress and fear, we can see the mutual distrust and suspicion among the different groups. They have widened their differences. Do the different Christian groups today also carry distrust and suspicion, widening their differences too?
Paul became the center of peace in the crisis. He knew that his life was not bound by fate, but was under the control of the Lord to whom he belongs and whom he worships (Acts 27:23). It is because of this faith, the Lord’s plan can be realised. We must all be willing to be a centre of peace, with each of us in our own position fulfilling the will of God according to his plan.
The centurion decided to set sail in the bad weather. During the storm, the responsibility on how to control the ship fell in the hands of the sailors. However, in the end, everybody’s respective calculated interests were defeated. Only when they were united together and abandoned the ship, that they can be saved through the Providential arrangement of the Lord. This ship and all its valuable goods would be lost but all the lives could be saved. In the process of seeking unity among Christians, God’s wisdom is such that we are being asked to let go of many things to which we are deeply attached.
God set these diverse and conflicting peoples to “run aground on an island” (Acts 27:26). They are arranged on the same boat, and they arrived at the same destination. The hospitality they received from the islanders revealed that the fundamental condition for unity is nothing but mutual warm reception. While they gathered around the fire, these 276 people were no longer controlled by the power of indifference. Rather, they were embraced by God’s love. This love was shown by the “unusual kindness” of the natives (Acts 28:2). We are also willing to dissolve the indifference and hatred among us through mutual embrace and build a peaceful and harmonious society together.
Hospitality is a much needed virtue in our quest for unity among Christians. This virtue urges us to be more generous towards people who need help. Despite its importance, we can discover Christian unity not only through mutual expressions of hospitality. We can also discover unity through the mutual respect among peoples of different languages, cultures, or religious beliefs.
In such a difficult and tortuous journey of St. Paul, the Lord brought about the salvation for all. We firmly believe that our Lord would again proclaim the universal salvation He prepared for us (Acts 28:28).
• Diocesan Ecumenical Commission of the Hong Kong Catholic Church
• The Ecumenical Patriarchate Orthodox Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and South East Asia
• Church Unity and Relations Committee Hong Kong Christian Council
January 2018
