RECONCILIATION
2 Corinthians 5:18-21
“Making the first move. Walking across the bridge.“
Paul understood resurrected life in Christ to be a new creation, reconciled life with God. The new life in Christ was not simply a single personal event, but ongoing participation in the creative work of God. For Paul, this ongoing engagement in God’s new creation included interaction in history and nature as well as what’s personal. In this context, we reflect on reconciliation.
“All this is from God who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”
How we become reconciled to God is a model for how we pursue reconciliation within our own lives and practice the ‘diakonia,’ the ministry of bringing together what is broken.
Who makes the first move? God has first moved toward us
through the happening in history of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and invites us to participate in dynamic, new reality. We have to ‘walk across the bridge’ and be open to the process. Looking for and accepting God’s loving presence in our daily life, our community and the world around lifts us into new life.
Following Christ and participating in God’s endeavor of bringing all things together, we also make the first move and take the initiative to mend broken relationships and situations whether personal or within the community and beyond. That takes down to earth focus to find a path forward and determination to make a breakthrough! Persuading the other party to make a positive response is the challenge! That is where we intensely invoke divine inspiration, and it is amazing how God opens a way!
Finally, reconciliation must have a color - sun burst yellow?
Lilias Morrison
2 Corinthians 5:18-21
“Making the first move. Walking across the bridge.“
Paul understood resurrected life in Christ to be a new creation, reconciled life with God. The new life in Christ was not simply a single personal event, but ongoing participation in the creative work of God. For Paul, this ongoing engagement in God’s new creation included interaction in history and nature as well as what’s personal. In this context, we reflect on reconciliation.
“All this is from God who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”
How we become reconciled to God is a model for how we pursue reconciliation within our own lives and practice the ‘diakonia,’ the ministry of bringing together what is broken.
Who makes the first move? God has first moved toward us
through the happening in history of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and invites us to participate in dynamic, new reality. We have to ‘walk across the bridge’ and be open to the process. Looking for and accepting God’s loving presence in our daily life, our community and the world around lifts us into new life.
Following Christ and participating in God’s endeavor of bringing all things together, we also make the first move and take the initiative to mend broken relationships and situations whether personal or within the community and beyond. That takes down to earth focus to find a path forward and determination to make a breakthrough! Persuading the other party to make a positive response is the challenge! That is where we intensely invoke divine inspiration, and it is amazing how God opens a way!
Finally, reconciliation must have a color - sun burst yellow?
Lilias Morrison
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