Reconciliation?

Everywhere we look are broken relationships.

The biggest rift is between God and people. It robs us of peace with each other, and peace within.

In a world of alienation and conflict, there is an answer.

Despite humanity’s preference for avoiding God, he has not gone away. Instead, in Jesus Christ he came to earth personally, to offer a way of reconciliation with him. Our response was typically human: we killed him.

His response was to rise from death, confirming his offer of reconciliation. This left no room for reasonable doubt that Jesus was who he claimed to be, and that he is the way to reconciliation with God.

His terms of peace are generous, too. Those who accept his offer receive immensely more than they give, when they are reconciled to God, and the benefits continue beyond this life of insecurity and sorrow.

Meanwhile, in this life, reconciliation with God also opens the hope of reconciliation between people, and liberation from our own failings. Thankfully it doesn’t depend upon the creeds, dogmas and traditions that institutional religion pushes. It depends upon Jesus Christ, who stood up against the hypocrisy of the religious establishment, and opened a way — The Way — to peace with God, without big-time, big-money, big-pomp religion.

The Way of peace and reconciliation is the way Christ has opened to anyone who accepts his invitation.

"We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."

2 Corinthians 5:20