The Weekly Word...
For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and broken down the dividing wall, that is the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it." (Ephesians 2:14-16, NRSV)
Beloved in Christ,
Though we may not want to admit it, many of us instinctively roll our eyes when the Bible talks about peace. We are living during a time in our country's history when Americans seem to be intractably divided in almost every way. It is easy for us to resign ourselves to this dismal state of affairs. But Jesus is calling us to join Him in the work of promoting peace among peoples.
How is Jesus calling us to promote peace during a time of bitter division? I do not know the specific work which He is calling you to (you'll have to pray about that) but I do think that the healing of our divisions begins with listening with empathy to those who think differently than we do. What are their hopes and fears? What are their values? What experiences have they had which influence their thinking? Let us seek to embody the self-giving love which Jesus showed through the cross and graciously reach out to those who are different from us and build bridges of understanding and respect.
Blessings,
Pastor Nicholas
