The Process of Reconciliation

A big part of my role as a pastor in the city is to serve as a reconciler and bridge builder. I help to facilitate the work that the Holy Spirit is doing in reconciling people with God and with one another. These reconciling relationships between one another often transcend man-made boundaries in society: black and white, suburban and urban, rich and poor, Christian and non-Christian, and many other circumstances that divide human beings. 

Admittedly, this work of reconciling and bridge building between people and cultures can be very overwhelming. It can be very intense. When I take things upon myself too much, I become overwhelmed by the demands. When I keep my focus on the Holy Spirit, I am able to be sustained through God's life-giving empowerment. The temptation is to become bitter toward the process of transformation and the people who are being transformed. The process of reconciliation requires dependence and trust in the Lord to heal hearts and draw people closer together.

Sometimes I get the great privilege of catching glimpses of what heaven will be like. The kingdom of God will include "a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages. (Revelation 7:9 ESV)." All followers of Jesus should take hold of this vision that God gives us and let it define our existence in how we interact with one another. This sounds good in theory, but reconciling work comes with a cost. We have an enemy that wants to destroy us and cause division, strife, and war between us. That is why it is so important that we view the work of reconciliation from a spiritual perspective, trusting the Lord to guide us along the way.