thinking bible.

You asked

where do we see 'hostility' or 'enmity' persisting in our communities despite calls for unity?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Romans 8:7-8

Because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be. Those who are in the flesh can’t please God.

The Apostle Paul, writing to believers in Rome in the mid-1st century CE, is describing a fundamental conflict within human experience. He contrasts living according to 'the flesh' (often understood as humanity's self-centered tendencies) with living by 'the Spirit' (God's influence and presence).

What inner motivations or collective habits contribute to hostility and prevent genuine unity in our communities?

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

  • Galatians 5:19-21

    Lists 'works of the flesh,' including hostilities, strife, jealousies, and divisions.

  • James 4:1-2

    Asks where quarrels and conflicts come from, pointing to desires battling within us.

  • Ephesians 2:14-16

    Speaks of Christ breaking down walls of hostility between groups, making peace.

Ask your own follow-up