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pusateriDo you know what “divide et impera” means? We have seen it played out these past several months in the United States and it is on full display around the world. Niccolò Machiavelli wrote about it in 1513, and the term “Machiavellian” became synonymous with deceit and deviousness. But the concept is much older: Julius Caesar employed this technique, as did Napoleon. How is it impacting you and how is it impacting our world?

“Divide et impera” means “divide and rule” or “divide and conquer.” In politics and sociology, it means gaining and maintaining power by breaking up larger concentrations of power into pieces that individually have less power than the one implementing the strategy. Spiritually speaking, it’s highly destructive.

The author of this strategy is the devil. The word “devil” comes from the Latin and Greek term “diabolus,” which literally means slanderer. The roots of the word are “dia,” meaning across, and “bolos,” meaning “who throws.” In other words, the devil is a slanderer who throws division across the world. He is the author of distrust; he polarizes people and ruptures relationships. Does this sound familiar?

We see it every day: rich against poor, black against white, Republican against Democrat, “red” states against “blue” states, the Senate against the House of Representatives, state government against the federal government, spouse against spouse, child against parent, Catholic against Protestant, “conservative” Christians against “liberal” Christians, neighbor against neighbor, Muslims against Jews, Muslims against Christians ... the list goes on and on.

This is evidence of the hideous divisiveness of the evil one in our lives. As Christians, we must ceaselessly work to end division and build unity among ourselves, within the Church and in the world. We need to stop the fighting.

Anyone old enough to remember likely recalls this famous public service message from 1971: A Native American paddles his canoe through pristine waters, surrounded by litter. He pulls his boat onto a bank, strewn with litter from a nearby freeway. Someone flings a bag of trash from a passing car, and a single tear rolls down his cheek. A narrator then says, “People start pollution. People can stop it.”

Divisiveness is the litter of the modern world, and it is strewn everywhere. I am reminded of Jesus’ return to Jerusalem, in which Luke 19:41 states, “As He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it.” As I ponder the world’s divisiveness, I wonder if Jesus is weeping again. “People started this division. Christians can stop it.”

In order for us to have any impact on reducing division and building unity in the world, we must first recognize the division within ourselves. St. Paul famously points out this division in Romans 7:18-19: “For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh. The willing is ready at hand but doing the good is not. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want.”

The terms “my flesh” or “the flesh” which St. Paul uses here do not mean our flesh and bones. It means the parts of us that are alienated from God. He is referring to the rebellious, unruly and obstinate parts of our life. These must change.

Let’s take a closer look at the devil’s strategy. Included in an even longer list in Galatians 5:19-21, St. Paul tells us the works of the flesh include hatred, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions and occasions of envy. We have seen a lot of this on the news recently.
These works of the flesh are at the root of all division, and they clearly are the work of the devil. St. Paul tells us this in Romans 8:6: “The concern of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit is life and peace.” I think we can all agree that our world is sorely in need of more peace. St. Paul continues in verses 7-8: “For the concern of the flesh is hostility toward God; it does not submit to the law of God, nor can it; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

My friends, we must first deal with our own inner divisiveness and our hatreds, rivalries, jealousies, outbursts, acts of selfishness and envies, so that collectively as Christians we can bring about an end to the many divisions in the world. In Romans 8:14, St. Paul gives us a warning, but he also concludes with hope and encouragement: “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

Both in our own life and in the world, the devil is employing his “divide et impera” strategy. He wants to divide and conquer us.
With Jesus in our hearts, let’s recommit ourselves to becoming agents of change in this world. Let’s become agents of peace. Ask yourself: What am I doing and what am I saying that causes division?

We must start by changing our own behavior. If each one of us does our part to change, this world will become a much better and more peaceful place to live.

Perhaps it was all of this division that caused Jesus to pray these words to His Father: “I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). It may also be why He taught us to pray “but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13).
My brothers and sisters: I appeal to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, let us bring an end to the division among us and let us work to become united in mind and heart.

Heavenly Father, make me an agent of peace in the world. Where there is division, help me to heal; where there is hatred, help me to sow love; and where there is darkness, help me to bring the light of Christ. Amen!

Brian Pusateri is the founder of Broken Door Ministries (www.brokendoorministries.com) and a member of Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville.