But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. – Ephesians 2:13-14
Beloved of God,
There’s much talk about division within our country these days. These divisions have always been present to a greater or lesser degree, but in recent decades they have become much more visible and vocalized. As the upcoming election looms, it’s hard not to find ourselves and our personal position on candidates and issues hardening. Human division is nothing new; we Americans certainly didn’t invent it! As the Biblical record (and anthropological evidence) attest, divisions within the human family have existed from the beginning, with one side or another often claiming divine sanction for their particular group’s point of view.
One of the divisions St. Paul addresses most frequently in his letters is the division between Jews and Gentiles, i.e. between those who are heirs to the promises God via the old covenant (Abraham and Moses), and those who are heirs to the promises of God mediated through the new covenant initiated in Jesus Christ. In his Letter to the Ephesians Paul says there’s room for both – Jew and Gentile – in the new covenant God has initiated in Jesus. In Christ, says Paul, God has accomplished something no one else could—through Christ’s self-giving sacrifice on the cross he has “broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.” Writing about this, Paul speaks not as if it may happen “someday, by and by,” but rather that it has already been accomplished!
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. – Ephesians 2:19-20
As followers of Jesus, the invitation for us is to look at our fellow human beings through the eyes of Christ, seeking opportunities to confirm our kinship rather than for evidence of irreconcilable differences between us. Jesus himself practiced this when he gathered a diverse community of disciples around him and he did it often through table fellowship. Wherever he went, he made mealtimes occasions for teaching that God can mend divisions that seem insurmountable. His approach offended some religious leaders and confounded others. The Eucharistic Meal we share each week is a reminder of his radical promise to be fully present, offering himself and calling his diverse community of followers into unity.
Wherever we may find ourselves this summer, whether close to home or across the ocean, the invitation is for us to look for those things which unite us—evidence of our common humanity. Responding to this invitation will no doubt stretch us beyond our comfort zones, as his invitations always do. But what an adventure—to see if, in crossing into new territory, we don’t discover that the Spirit was already there before us!
With you on the Way,
Pastor Erik
What does this mean?