Reconciliation
“…first be reconciled to your brother or sister…”
Matthew 5:24
Reconciliation means to repair, to refresh, to renew and to make right a relationship that has been wronged. From the earliest stories in the Bible, people tended to seek their own will instead of the will of God. For example, when the Israelites followed Moses out of Egypt, they repeatedly turned from God, resulting in a 40-year delay in reaching the Promised Land. Unfortunately, not much has changed since then.
According to our Book of Common Prayer, this seeking of our own will instead of the will of God is “sin” and it distorts our relationship with God, with other people and with all of creation (Book of Common Prayer, p. 848).
However, the Gospel —“the good news” we find in Holy Scripture — is that we have already been reconciled with God through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The cross was an act of love in which Christ “made there a full and perfect sacrifice for the whole world.” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 341) And just as we have been reconciled to God through Christ, God desires us to be reconciled to one another, not for His sake, but for our sake.
As we know, forgiving and reconciling with others is not always an easy thing to do, especially when we believe that we are right and they are wrong. However, we don’t seek to remove anger, bitterness and resentment in our lives in order to benefit those who have harmed us. We seek to remove these toxic emotions from our lives for the sake our own well-being. Seeking to reconcile with those who have harmed us is hard work, but it is essential if we are to experience the peace that God desires for us.
So, during this season of Lent, may we remember and reflect upon “the good news” that we have already been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. And with God’s grace, may we be reconciled with one another and experience His peace which passes all understanding.
