Be Reconciled
“... if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making His appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
II Corinthians 5:17-20
Are you reconciled to God?
As a younger man, I did a good bit of white-water rafting. One of the most challenging rivers was the Chattooga, where the movie Deliverance was filmed. Our journey began in South Carolina and ended just south of the Georgia border. The river is filled with currents slow and raging and some of the most intense rapids were strenuously exhilarating to say the least (or perhaps exhilaratingly strenuous!). Fortunately, we had an expert to guide us along the way.
There was only one rapid that required a special stop. Our guide told us to paddle to shore and get out. A short hike put us over this particular rapid that had several jagged rocks and two steep drop-offs. He explained that series the of rapids ranged from Class IV and Class V.[1] He told us we had the option of getting out now and meeting up further down the river with those who decided to go through the challenging course. He made no bones about it: it would be a wild ride and could be a dangerous ride if we did not follow his directions to a tee.
What our guide was doing was giving us an opportunity to reconcile ourselves to what that rapid would surely deliver. We did not have to go through if we did not want to, however. we could not if we were not, deep down, willing to take the plunge, if you will. If memory serves, everyone agreed to go through and his words proved to be true in every way.
The Church in Corinth proved to be one of Paul’s wildest rides. It was a large port city and like most port cities that often served as cultural crossroads in the ancient world, it was a fishbowl of virtually every race, ethnicity, religion and persuasion. Preaching the Gospel there was a huge challenge and even after those who received Paul’s message came to faith, keeping them together — unified, reconciled to God and one another — proved to be an ongoing challenge. There were constant divisions in the Corinthian Church and Paul spent a great deal of the Corinthian correspondence steering these early Christians back to a safe shore.[2]
In the passage above, Paul lifts off what he calls a “ministry of reconciliation.” We know from other passages in the Corinthian correspondence that loving one another was key — was essential — to being a faithful Christian.[3] In this passage, he reminds them of the source for reconciliation: God – Who chose to reconcile Himself to humankind; who chose, despite our sinful ways, to press on in His journey to reconcile Himself, through Christ, to all who would receive Him.
Paul uses this mini-essay to implore his audience to be reconciled. He, like our little river guide, makes it clear: God chose to go through the rapids first. God looked ahead and saw the painful, dangerous and ultimately deadly journey that would be required to reconcile humankind to Himself. Reconciliation, for God, would not come without cost.
Now, as we have already considered, reconciliation is a gift to us, from God and that comes without our paying the cost. The cost, if you will, comes after we receive God’s reconciliation. The cost is the price of being a disciple by inviting Christ into our lives, receiving His Spirit and relinquishing our control such that He can make all things new. As Paul points out, “... if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away, everything has become new!”
Notice that exclamation point; Paul did not use them often. This was a big announcement — reconciliation with God, brought but one cost to the follower means a new beginning. Jesus called it “new birth.”[4]
One of the many good things about our faith is that it does not hide much. It tells truths in simple and enduring ways — God loves us; God seeks to be reconciled to us; God sent His Son not to condemn us, but to save us and if we would but believe, we would have new life altogether.[5]
New life can be scary at times, but when the old life has worn out its welcome, it really is the only way forward. Paul reminds us the journey to that new life is to be reconciled to God. The good news is that He has done all the work; your only choice is whether or not to go along for the ride.
By the way, I decided to reconcile myself to going through that rapid. I held fast to every word our guide gave and when we made it to the other side, I felt like a new man altogether.
A Question to Ponder
Let’s pause now, well into our summer meditations and consider a really important question: are you reconciled to God in Christ? The whole of our faith is about holding fast to the mercy and love of Christ Himself, but to hold fast to Him, you have to let go of anything else that might get in the way of this reconciliation.
Imagine Christ pulling you ashore from your daily life and taking you up on a hill to look down at the life you now live. Is there anything, anyone, you might need to release so that you can be united to Him? Reconciled to Him? Name it ... Give yourself into the hands of our Divine Guide. He will get you to the other side and you will be, well, born anew.
A Prayer
Be born in us,
Incarnate Love.
take our flesh and blood,
and give us Your humanity;
take our eyes, and give us your vision;
take our minds,
and give us Your pure thought;
take our feet and set them in your path;
take our hands and fold them in Your prayer;
take our hearts
and give them Your will to love....
Nail our hands
in Your hands
to the Cross.
make us take and hold
the hard thing.
Nail our feet,
in Your feet
to the Cross,
that they may never
wander away from You.
Make our promises and our vows,
nails that hold us fast,
that even the dead weight of sin,
dragging on the nails
In our last weakness,
may not separate us from You,
but may make us one with You
in Your redeeming love.
Amen.
Frances Caryll Houselander, d. 1954.[6]
[1] A Class V is the most treacherous level of a river current, and carried the threat of great harm or even death.
[2] What we know to be I and II Corinthians, was likely pieces of at least four letters; one of which appears to be missing, but all of them deal pretty squarely with the divisions.
[3] See Meditation XXXIII.
[4] See John Chapter 3:1-21.
[5] Specifically, John 3:16-17.
[6] Maisie Ward, “The Splendor of the Rosary” (London, Sheed and Ward, 1945).
