2022-12-18 A Meditation on Reconciliation

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” (Eph 2:13–22 ESV)

“It’s about time we be going now.” Get it out of your system. Cease the exploration of life. Time is now, and if we fear to let go of our control, we are assured that on the other side are no regrets. At the same time, all religious edifice is a paltry shadow of what is to come, that is, Jesus in us is crucified at once and immediately, regarding certain Christ-like expeditions. Organized religion we join up to out of the goodness of our hearts, knowing it to be of all vocations in life perhaps the most compromised. The most conciliatory to what should not need to be conceded to. The most uptight and substitutionary, substituting Law for what should be Grace.

The one—and this one may be a rare fish indeed—feeling a call unto Holy Vocation, to be a testifier of Faith, to rally hearts around the Presence of the Lord, to engage with heady theological disputes, is taking on faith that there be goodness where there be dragons. There there be dragons, indeed. And so much of plain living, is already Christian for those who are called: hearkening to the Word, pausing and pondering talk of a Higher Being way up there, who are trying their hand at a few little exposes here and there, a little faith-talk, some exhortations and admonitions.

That is, go forth boldly Christian soldier! Have faith in good women and good men who do labor in the confines of said compromised Church. Where there is peace and new life, there the devil is also jealous and at work; but our God is an avenging fire, a jealous husband, an honorific wife, a bold Son of the Most High, a daughter of Man’s Better Religiosity. Man’s thoughts rally around these children of the Most High, and these grownups of the Most High. Man’s thoughts forego much that, in a Grace-based world, would be our point of contact and of coming together; why not see how much Grace was in a party atmosphere, yet the church is uncomfortable around a party. In the dance invitation, but the church thought it a bit too hot. In anything, really, that threatens the idolatrous cage in man’s heart. Man has an idol called his or her Religion, and doesn’t understand God is expeditionary. God is on patrol. God loves to show up, at a wedding, in a fish market, amidst a brotherly argument. We, too, rally to the noise of the drums: here there be massive healing on account of simply one woman’s or man’s—one anointed one’s—simple repentance. They had clarity of thought and clairvoyant Call to speak a new word, something they’d never tried before, at least not with these friends, and boy did it go off well! For sins tether us and bind us, making us useless to heal, until our thirst is sated—gone is the sin of wanting more drink—or our lust is conversed through—gone is the sin of using others for their bodies—or our determined enmity is washed away—gone is the uptight resolution to hold back, and here now is Reconciliation. Costly reconciliation. Reconciliation that is not vacuously decreed, minus understanding it cost a man His life. So, as those near to the corpse, near now to the empty tomb, we transition, putting all our spiritual finances on that peaceful handshake.

Some protest the war on principle, and to this we concur: war for its own sake is a horrific concession. But these same ones plead for reconciliation, and to fully grasp this notion we must acknowledge it is a battle zone. What spirit in us is willing to make peace, is a spirit boring and overly pragmatic, unflashy and uninteresting. That is, some simple things need to be said, and if they meet with the usual flashy response, then patience: time is needed to allow things to register.

That is, we fail if we try to occupy a better perch than our neighbor, by being the one against divisions. War happens, and we are not denying our own war, with the spirit of death and with the societal unthinking dalliance with sin. We try to maintain that simple holiness of life, and this is a battleground. But also we cheer these friends who in liberal fashion preach on reconciliation: would that Man would drop his or her weapons and brush off, shake hands, and turn together to a common foe. But this takes us near to a very unattractive thought, Christ dying on a Cross, Resurrecting changed and marked, but resurrected nonetheless, so we can think as though in the midst of our own dying hour, and count on all good things in that awakened span of time.

On the other side are no regrets. We do not feel forlorn as to lifestyles and habits relegated to the former life. The life without Christ. The life lived automatically, for God had a dance and an entry for us to become Aware and Christ-centered. God hid His greater promises of spiritual consummation and replacement of our theology with one stark and upbuilding, as a prize for running so well. We run well if we turn to Him. We run well if we “get it out of our system”, knowing that once called, always called: if we experiment with a little prudence or chastity of thought, well, maybe that is an avenue to realizing Grace, but it is no religion in and of itself. Religion needs full-bodied rejuvenation, and this is awakened in that soul making genuine confession: “I no longer long for sin; I am healed, and praise the Lord!”