In recent years, the concept of “hate bonding” has become a popular subject in scholarly studies and popular media alike. This term refers to the act of forming social bonds through a shared dislike of a person, group, ideology, or other “enemy.” While it may seem like a modern phenomenon shaped by social media and polarized politics, Saint Paul shows us in today’s second reading that this dynamic has long been part of our world and our Church.
Writing to a fractured community, Paul urges the Corinthians toward unity of mind and purpose. They had begun aligning themselves with Paul, Apollos, or Cephas; and thus, their sense of belonging was no longer rooted primarily in Christ, but in rivalry and comparison. Paul interrupts this by reminding them that Christ himself is not divided. When our community is shaped around our differences rather than our similarities, the Body of Christ suffers.
Paul also reiterates that his mission is not “to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with the wisdom of human eloquence, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its meaning.” Hate bonding relies on rhetoric that flatters our side and demonizes another. The cross, by contrast, humbles everyone. At the foot of the cross, there are no factions—only sinners in need of mercy and a Savior who gives Himself for all.
This reading invites us to examine our own hearts. Do we find connection primarily through shared grievances? Do our conversations, even within the Church, reinforce lines of opposition rather than bonds of love? Christian unity does not mean erasing differences, but living in communion grounded in Christ alone. As disciples, we are called to be known not by whom we reject, but by the love that flows from the cross we share. In a divided world, that witness may be the most powerful evangelization of all.
