July 2019 Monthly Letter

Dear ORM Reconcilers,

I hope you are doing well, and basking in the blessings of the Lord and His wonderful care. May we continue to pray for each either. I pray for you. We all need prayer in this broken world!

While preparing for this letter, I discovered a small Biblically-based book that piqued my interest. The title is Beyond Rhetoric; Reconciliation as a Way of Life by Samuel George Hines and Curtiss Paul DeYoung. I want to give the authors credit for using their material.

In the midst of Roman oppression, dehumanizing poverty, ethnic strife, class hatred, disenfranchisement of women, and alienation in numerous other categories of relationships, God sent Jesus to do an onsite job of reconciliation.    

The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem crossed the boundary separating the Human and the divine. When sin entered the world, a boundary was erected that severed the intimate relationship between God and the first human couple, Adam and Eve. The arrival of Jesus signaled the beginning of the end of this relationship, which was completely destroyed by his death and resurrection.

It’s interesting to note that Jesus grew up in a multicultural, multiethnic, and international neighborhood. Can you think of a better place for the Savior to grow up? Given this fact, it should not surprise us that Jesus would be multilingual.

The language that enabled him to communicate to the wide range of people living in Galilee would have been Greek; the language of the temple was Hebrew. That would make Jesus at least trilingual. (Perhaps) Jesus even spoke some of the languages of his neighbors in Galilee.

Reconciliation is God’s agenda. Jesus secured that agenda when He went to the cross. The willingness to forgive is part of that agenda and two of the most crucial aspects of the process of reconciliation. Unforgiving people with unforgiving spirits weigh down any congregation and impede God’s mission in the world.

When we experience forgiveness and become giving persons, we enjoy many unique blessings. Forgiveness from God clears the way for a holy righteousness to direct our lives.

I enjoyed reading the book and sharing that reconciliation is a way of life, as well as the importance of forgiveness in our homes, congregations, and our communities.

Thank you for your support and let’s continue to follow Jesus’ example of reconciliation. May Jesus bless and keep you in His loving care,