A Reconciling Gospel

"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..." Eph 2:13-14

This entire chapter (Eph 2) was the main text for Rev. Brandon Washington, keynote speaker at this week's synod gathering.* As a scholar on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, he was invited by Bishop Ken to speak on Bonhoeffer's theological basis for social justice. Two things struck me deeply.

First, he drew our attention to how we often understand the Gospel and its benefits. It is common, especially for the majority culture, to hear that the Gospel is a statement of my right standing before God; I am reconciled to God. And that is where we stop. Yet, Brandon reminded us–indeed he exhorted us–from Eph 2, that the same Gospel that reconciled us to God is the same Gospel that reconciles us to each other.

Second, the value of a thing can be determined by the price paid for it. The price paid for our reconciliation is the very life of Christ. That is the value placed on our reconciliation. And this reconciliation is not only our reconciliation to God. It is also our reconciliation to each other, those from whom we differ, people from all walks of life, demographics, and ethnicities. Therefore, if we value the Gospel–and we should–we will value each other.

I would encourage you to take some time to watch Rev. Brandon's first session talk which can be found on the DRM's YouTube page here. (The DRM is the diocese of the Rocky Mountains, our diocese.) You can find the other sessions on the DRM's main YouTube page here.

One of the first steps towards healing and justice is to understand the situation, causes, and resultant problems. Listening is an excellent start to this process. I'd invite you to listen.

Grace & Peace

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