All this
is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of
reconciliation.
I hung up the phone one day in October, more than a little annoyed.
I had been talking to a good friend, but at that moment I felt like I never wanted to talk
to her again. I was angry at what she had said and hurt that she didn’t seem to
understand where I was coming from. As I write this in late December, we have not yet
spoken, although each of us has made some effort to do so.
Our relationship is broken, and it hurts. I miss our long conversations
and the few hours we always tried to spend together around Christmas. I miss sharing with
her the changes going on in my life. I miss my friend – her laughter, her caring, and
her presence in my life.
Being broken and separated by pride, anger, and self-righteousness from
those we love is part of our sinfulness. As we begin this Lenten season, we are reminded
by the words of the Apostle Paul that Jesus, the Christ, reconciled us to God, our loving
Father. If we truly believe that Jesus died and rose again for us, then we can embrace the
wholeness of our relationship with God. Sin does not have to separate us from God. What
joy there is in that knowledge!
In verse 18 of today’s reading, we are told that God has given us
the ministry of reconciliation. Because we are reconciled to God in Jesus the Christ, we
are to share that gift of reconciliation with others. If God can forgive us, then we can
offer the same forgiveness to others. If God can love us so much to give his Son, then we
can stretch out our hands in love to those who are different from us.
But what about my broken relationship with my friend?
By the time you read this, I will have reached out in love and
forgiveness to my friend. May all of us, during this time of Lent, know healing and
wholeness in our relationships.
Gracious God, help us enjoy our relationship with you and to
practice the ministry of reconciliation you have given us so that our broken relationships
can be made whole. Amen.
Deaconess Doreen Scheuerman
