The Christian religion, though scattered and abroad will in the

Hear the solemn and prophetic words of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: “The Christian religion, though scattered and abroad will in the end gather itself together at the foot of the cross.” These words resound with the voice of one who had seen the divisions of faith, the strife of doctrine, the scattering of believers into countless sects and nations. Yet in his vision, the symbol of unity remains—the cross, that eternal sign where suffering and redemption meet. Goethe, though a man of literature and philosophy, saw in Christianity not only fragmentation but also the power of reconciliation at its center.

The origin of this saying lies in the turbulence of Goethe’s own time. He lived in an age when Europe bore the scars of the Reformation and the Thirty Years’ War, when the Christian world was split between Catholic and Protestant, between countless denominations, each claiming the fullness of truth. To the thinker and poet, this scattering was a wound. Yet Goethe believed that despite divisions, the heart of Christianity remained whole, and that one day all who named Christ would find themselves drawn back together—not at councils of men, nor under crowns of princes, but at the foot of the cross itself.

History confirms his vision in moments of crisis. Recall the fields of Flanders in the First World War. Soldiers from many nations—Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox—fell side by side in the mud. And in their dying breaths, many clutched the same cross, prayed to the same Christ. Though their churches were divided, their faith in suffering united them. In that shared recognition of human frailty and divine mercy, Goethe’s words took flesh: the scattered were gathered once more.

The meaning runs deeper still. The cross is not only a symbol of pain, but of humility. It is the place where pride is broken, where divisions dissolve. For who can stand tall at Calvary? Kings and beggars alike must kneel before the same sacrifice. Thus, Goethe reminds us that unity will not be found in theological conquest, nor in triumph of one sect over another, but in shared humility before the suffering love of Christ. At the cross, all boasting ends, and only mercy remains.

Yet, O listener, do not think this unity is only for nations. Each soul too is scattered within itself, divided by desire, pride, and fear. The call to gather at the foot of the cross is also personal. For in surrendering one’s brokenness, in laying down the burdens of division within the heart, the soul itself is gathered and made whole. Goethe’s words speak not only of churches but of every individual torn between sin and grace, estrangement and reconciliation.

The lesson, therefore, is clear: when conflict and division arise—whether between churches, communities, or within the chambers of your own heart—return to the cross. There lies the fountain of unity. There lies the reminder that love is stronger than division, mercy stronger than judgment, and humility stronger than pride. The cross is not a banner to wield against others but a place of kneeling where all find equality.

Therefore, take action. When you face quarrels among brethren, point not first to arguments, but to the cross. When you find your heart divided, kneel again in humility and let the love that flows from Calvary gather you together. And when you despair at the fractures of the world, remember Goethe’s hope: that in the end, no matter how scattered, all who call upon Christ will be drawn again to that one place where unity is born—the foot of the cross.