If we genuinely believe that "we are made in the image and likeness of God." What are we doing about it?

When we understand the meaning of the Universal Christ, are we thinking of Christ in terms of 15 billion years or only of Jesus? The Universal Christ is a concept that transcends time and space, encompassing all of creation. One way we experience the Universal Christ is by understanding the various world religions. This was key for Joseph Cardijn, Thomas Merton, and all of Catholic Social Teachings, and it remains a central focus of the Parliament of World Religions. The Christian community must prioritize caring for our typical home. Care for the home is woven as a seamless garment with care for all human beings.

The story of Christ in the universe is one of a global ethic. The great commandments given to us as people of the Abrahamic religions, which include Judaism, and Christianity, are "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord is our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.'

The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'

There is no other commandment greater than these. This should be the irrevocable, unconditional norm for all areas of life, for families and communities, for races, nations, and religions.

The religions of the world all recognize the climate crisis we're facing, the situation of racial relationships, and the crisis of understanding the dignity of being a human being as we evolve with emerging technology. Our focus on loving our neighbor highlights the interconnectedness of our world, which we all share as our home.

Thomas Merton recognized a universal religious ethic in all comparative religions. Joseph Cardijn recognized this ethic as the Universal brotherhood and solidarity of people on this planet. And for Bonhoeffer, the Sermon on the Mount seems to want to move ethics much more into the positive realm.

This ethic teaches us about our relationship with our Significant Other, whom many call God, and how this relationship entails a moral obligation to become more like God, if we genuinely believe that "we are made in the image and likeness of God."