Living in the Spirit
July 16, 2015

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:11-22

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. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. –Ephesians 2:13-16 

Paul is described in our scripture today as trying to bridge the gap between two very different cultures to make them one in Christ putting to death hostility. The gentiles and the Jews had very different cultures, traditions, and faith systems. Making them one was like mixing oil and water, both very important nutrients needed by all.

Actually bringing two or more vastly different cultures together was not a whole lot more challenging then holding the Israelites together, as we see when we follow their journeys through the Hebrew Bible. The sad thing is we have not learned from either experiences of our ancestors in faith. The words of the prophets spoken to the Israelites 3000 years ago still apply to us today as do the teachings of the apostles. It seems human nature longs for the things that divide us.

I spent an entire career in human services picking up the trash left over from the abortion wars. While we people of faith invest countless hours of time, energy, and money in fighting each other over who was right or who was wrong, there were few who really cared about the collateral damage to the woman and children involved. They could have benefitted from reinvestment of those resources in providing services to prevent unwanted pregnancies, giving hope to young women who had none, and teaching all our children to love and respect one another.  These are tangible services that has been proven to reduce abortion.

We are now doing the same thing in regard to immigration. While there is very little in the Bible regarding abortion or homosexuality, welcoming the stranger appears over and over again from the beginning to the end. Jesus includes it in his laundry list of activities included in judgment. Will we ever learn?

Prayer: Lord, open our hearts and minds to being one within your love. Help us find the common ground to forge a brighter tomorrow for all your children. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.