Reading the beginning of Romans where Paul is trying hard to convince people to leave old categories separating people behind and enter a new, universal fellowship with God.
Then I thought about the apostles at the same time who went into Syria–not only to Jews who lived there, but also to Syrians. Christianity had spread to Greeks and Romans already before Paul. It had spread among Syrians and Egyptians (we know from reading the Desert Fathers among other writings).
Just think if people had adopted that model. Think of the strife, fighting and bitterness in so much of the world today that could have been avoided.
But then I think of the hundreds of years of European history where Christians fought against each other in often bloody wars. Catholics against Protestant. So, I guess the mere adoption of a Christian facade overlaid on tribal identity wasn’t quite the answer.
We need, individually, to return to Paul’s writing and absorb it. As he said to his own time, “there is neither Jew nor Greek.” We need to feel that in our hearts. We will not categorize people in order to judge them. We will accept people and love them.
Faith Venture 
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