As I write this article, we are a nation in turmoil—with separation caused by the pandemic and unrest caused by the painful deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and others. But the problem goes much deeper. In Genesis 3, sin entered the world and soon it escalated to the point that Cain killed his brother. It actually started long before that when Lucifer attempted to make himself equal to God, and became Satan, the enemy of all that God is and does. He continues his work today of alienating people from God and from each other.
However, before the creation of the world, God had a daring plan, sending Jesus to this sin-cursed earth, the very dominion of Satan, to rescue people and bring them back to himself. We are reconciled to God by the physical body of Christ, his death on the cross. (See Colossians 1:22.) Our sins are forgiven, and we become a member of the spiritual body of Christ (the church). In Ephesians 2:14-18 Paul speaks of God’s plan for the church. His plan involved the Jews and Gentiles, two groups for which there had been centuries of irreconcilable tensions.
I pray for us a holy boldness.
Not only would the death of Jesus reconcile both Jews and Gentiles to God, it would reconcile them to each other, a radical idea with which both groups struggled. Jesus’ death on the cross was to create one new body out of the two, removing the hostility and breaking down any walls that divide them. I believe this plan of Jesus continues today in the church. He desires to bring together people of every nationality, color, socio-economic standing, and background. He wants to reconcile us to God and to each other and to present us as his brothers and sisters to the Father.
According to II Corinthians 5, we have been given the message and ministry of reconciliation. To fulfill this calling is to affirm the value of every person from the moment of conception until the end of physical life. Jesus modeled for us this ministry of reconciliation. He showed us what it means to love God with all our heart and to love our neighbors as ourselves. He affirmed and valued those that society had rejected:
- John 4 tells the story of Jesus choosing to go through Samaria, though many of his fellow Jews would have gone another way. While there, he offered living water to a Samaritan woman.
- Jesus blessed the children, though his disciples did not think he should take time for them.
- In Luke 7, while eating in the home of a Pharisee, Jesus allowed a sinful woman to anoint his feet and offered her salvation bringing criticism from his host.
I ask myself the question, “How often do I go out of my way or risk social ostracisation to connect with someone who is not like me?”
I close with two thoughts. First, racial divisions within the church are contrary to the will of God and to the purpose for which Jesus came to earth. The closer we walk to Jesus and the better we follow his example, the more we will live in harmony with each other. Attempts to bring racial reconciliation apart from the Word of God and the work of Jesus on the cross will at best have temporary benefits. This is not to condemn involvement in secular movements to improve people’s lives. But true and lasting change comes as hearts are transformed and energized by Jesus Christ. Secondly, we who have been reconciled to God should reach out with open arms to every person regardless of race, ethnicity, or heritage. We should love and accept them and invite them to Jesus, through whom they can be reconciled to God. The diversity of the true church is seen in Revelation 7:9. People from every tribe and language and people and nation are worshiping together around the throne. I dream of the day when CMC will more fully reflect this beautiful scene in heaven. I pray for us a holy boldness to step out of our comfort zones and seek opportunities to join hands and worship with brothers and sisters different from ourselves, as together we carry the message of reconciliation to the world.
