The epistles of St. John, written late in the first century AD, testify to divisions that impacted the first generations of Christians. The theme of unity which was so prominent in the fourth gospel becomes the central concern of the epistles. St. John is not urging a “why can’t we all just get along kum-ba-ya” kind of unity but a oneness based on the “teachings of Christ.” Then as now the reality that God became incarnate, that humanity is capable of bearing divinity, becomes a stumbling block for some. Once we accept that foundational truth then we must look at every human being differently since they bear a familial relationship with Jesus. Since Jesus is elder brother of the human race we must treat everyone as kin, with kindness, generosity, forgiveness. Or as St. John keeps insisting, I ask you, not as though I were writing a new commandment but the one we have had from the beginning: let us love one another.
