The Cyber Vitamin July 17, 2006

The Cyber Vitamin
July 17, 2006

Read: Ephesians 2:11-22

The Story:

Writing to a Gentile audience Paul affirms the unity which exists as both Jew and Gentile are now members of something new. There is a new household of God, a new building, a new temple. It is the church of Jesus Christ.

The imagery is drawn from Jewish tradition, but points toward a third reality: the Church as a community of people who have access to God through the cross. The cornerstone of this new spiritual temple is Christ while the Christian apostles and prophets are the foundation stones. The church is a building that is ever growing.

When the author of Ephesians talks of the abolishment of the law and commandments, he is describing a daring process of a daring process which usually meets with great controversy whenever it is attempted. It is the process of accepting that the old guideposts are not infallible and we have to move on to something new.

Our constant guide when stepping out in such uncharted territory is that our decisions and actions are to be based on the one infallible conviction of our faith: the conviction that God must love all peoples, so that whatever discriminates negatively has to be faced up to and put aside.
If there is to be God’s peace among people then people have to be put first.

The work to make this possible was done on the cross with Christ bringing us all to God. However, it is possible to slide into smug self satisfaction in this new superior people of God. To avoid seeing our mission as God’s people in a conquest and domination vein, as has been done through so much of Christian history, one must first of all remember our mission is not to recruit strength and build power, but rather to facilitate the coming home to the source of love within all things which is seeking to bring and hold them together.

Reflection:
· Why do you think we erect dividing walls between ourselves and others, even other Christians? How to we maintain our fervor and convictions while at the same time accept and love those with a different take on the Christian faith?

· Instead of working to build up through reconciliation of all, why do we tend to want to dominate and control others? Why do we find it so difficult to accept pluralism and ambiguity? Why do we think we have to know all the answers instead of embracing the questions in the spirit of Christian love?

Prayer:
God of redeeming grace, you show us the way and you give us the power to be reconciled and to make peace with you and one another. Inspire us and give us the perseverance to do this work of peace day by day, relationship to relationship. Amen.