Reconciliation

…first be reconciled… Matthew 5:21-26  Reconciliation comes in many forms. In accounting it is the balancing that must occur between bank and personal ledgers. In human relationships it is the restoring of mutual respect between individuals. In history it is the process of coming face to face with the truth of the past and in religion, it is a returning to faith by the process of atonement. Most of us have had some experience with one or all of these things. At times it can be very frustrating or painful when reconciliation does not occur. For some imbalances, we simply learn to deal with it. For example when our check book is consistently five cents off from the bank statement, no matter how hard or long we look for that five cents we can’t find it. So because it’s only five cents we let it go. However, relationships and the past are very different. The smallest of incidences and misunderstandings have orphaned many relationships and still today issues from the past aren’t adequately addressed in truth, causing disparities that continue to exist in an intelligent and civilized world. The one theme that flows through each of these forms of reconciliation is that there is always (at least) two sides. Through Christ, God has reconciled to humankind. Thus, as believers, our first reconciliation is to God, but we are also called to be reconciled to one another. Rest assured, there will be issues that attempt to block our way. Yet again and again, along this journey, unlike that check book that never seems to balance, our commandment in Love requires that we never give up hope on our own disparity. Although recovery may seem unattainable, know that God is continually working towards healing that which has been broken.