Filippo Brunelleschi was one of the pioneers of early Renaissance architecture in Italy. His major work is the dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, the largest masonry vault in the world even today. To construct this masterpiece of architecture, Brunelleschi first created a physical model of it and used this to guide his craftsmen in the construction of the dome for Florence’s magnificent Cathedral.
To create a great work it is always best to start with a model to guide the process. In Acts of the Apostles, Luke presents for us the model according to which the Church is best built in every age and in every place. Luke says, “The community of believers was of one heart and mind …” (Acts 4:32). The expression “one heart and one mind” means that they shared the same thoughts and aspirations that enabled them to work together for the common mission of evangelizing the world. More than two millennia later, for the Church now so vast and diverse, the goal of “one heart and one mind” is not uniformity, but unity in holding fast to the one faith and sharing in the very love of God.
What John Winthrop, first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, once said about building a new colony is an apt image for the Church. He said, “We must always consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill–the eyes of all people are upon us.” Winthrop was not original. He borrowed the metaphor of the city on a hill from Jesus. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said of us, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden” (Mt 5:14). Jesus has set us, His Church, in the world to be the model of what it means to live together in peace and harmony.
The Church faces many challenges. The world has sunk into the quagmire of vitriolic rhetoric. Those who differ in worldviews and political issues see each other as enemies and, by their harsh speech, distance themselves from each other. We need as members of the Church to put into practice Jesus’ mandate “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 15:12). Practically this entails resisting the temptation to label as our enemies others with whom we do not agree. For, where there is truly Christ-like love, the divisions within the Church become an opportunity to work harder together for the common good. At the Last Supper, Jesus prayed that we all be one, as He is with the Father (Jn 17:21). Jesus did not pray in vain.
Today’s cancel culture also challenges the Church to think and act differently from the world. Cancel culture highlights the actions of individuals or institutions that are considered immoral, offensive or objectionable. Then it seeks to marginalize them and remove them from their place in society. Cancel culture easily degenerates into intolerance. It provides no room for redemption.
The Church cannot be as ruthless in dealing with people who sin as the world is. Jesus has set the example. Peter denied him not once, but three times. Yet, when Peter repented, Jesus confirmed him in his role as chief shepherd of the Church. Following the example of Jesus, the Church is called to understand the reality of human weakness and never be ashamed of offering the gospel of hope and the assurance of mercy.
As a city prominently perched on a hilltop for all to see, the Church will always be an example of goodness and grace inasmuch as she herself is faithful to the gospel. We must resist the temptation to be of the world while in the world. In the famous words of the 5th century Greek statesman Pericles to the Athenians, “We do not imitate — for we are a model to others.”
