The “children of Israel, priests, Levites, and other returned exiles” were united in their dedication to God as seen in the re-building of the Temple in Jerusalem after the return from exile. Jesus has an all-embracing vision of who belongs: “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” The desire for unity, for oneness flows from the very nature of God. We use the word Trinity to refer to God in order to recognize that being united in relationship is the most basic fact of reality. We live in a world which seeks to separate — my family is not yours, my country is not yours, my party is not yours — but we must find what unites.
