RECONCILIATION

I was talking with a friend about how in relationships that need reconciliation it takes both people to sit down and talk with one another, hearing where each one feels like they have been wronged and then work on a solution.  In all of these relationship issues it is usually true that either in the action or the reaction wrong has been done on both sides. Sincerely recognizing and admitting that becomes the first step in healing the hurt done and clearing the way for reconciliation.

Later in the day I started thinking about how important reconciliation is in the world today; person to person, community to community, and nation to nation.  That led me to thinking about the Gospel and how the work of reconciliation was fulfilled by Jesus’ death on the cross.  That work, that sacrifice, reconciled all humanity to God and the only thing asked for in response is receiving and believing in the work and the One who accomplished it.  Receiving and believing requires a repentance and a change in behavior on the part of humanity but that is a minor response compared to 

the magnitude of what Jesus did.

The kicker for me came when I suddenly realized two things about this great work of reconciliation.  First was that God initiated this reconciliation and second was that He had done nothing wrong in the relationship that was ruptured; nothing.  All the wrong done was one sided; humanity’s side; my side.  God faithfully kept His side of the Covenant perfectly, even after His people were unfaithful time after time, again and again; even after I was unfaithful time after time, again and again.  He was eternally faithful and continued to provide and care for His people in spite of their abandoning Him and going their own way; in spite of my abandoning Him and going my own way.

After all the years, generation after generation, of darkness and disobedience, God made the first move and sent His Son to reconcile the breach that His people had made; that I had made.  He initiated and provided His Son as the sacrifice that would unite Him to His the people He created, once and for all, and all that He asked in return is that we receive, believe, and return to Him with all our hearts, minds, and souls.  The results of that reconciliation is that we become whole, we become as we were created to be, at our best, and that we will be given all we ever need in this life and in the next.  What a small request to such a great sacrifice that gives us so much.

“Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us

That we should be called the children of God; and so we are.”

I John 3:1

This should be the message and mission of every believer.  This should be the message and mission of every Faith Community and Church.  Once people hear this message they are given a choice to receive and believe it.  Once they do all else will fall into place.