God chose to make his First Covenant with one people, one nation. But after Pentecost, the apostles began fanning out to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth. The New Covenant is for all people in all times.

It is a sad commentary on our age that just when humanity has reached the pinnacle of scientific knowledge and technological progress, wisdom seems to be in short supply.

Virtually every group I've been involved with or watched from a distance has struggled with conflict and division. Somebody wants to have his or her own way and someone else resists. The unity of the group is broken.

Throughout the history of the Church, there has, again and again, been a tension between an ordered "institutional Church" and the supposed charismatic Church or Church of the faithful. Whenever times get rocky for the bishops and pope – and when isn't it rocky? – many will proclaim that they want Church without the hierarchy.