Tag: Reconciliation

Tuesday, 10/5/21 – Pressing on… A Matter of Reparations…

A Matter of Reparations…

Last Friday residents of the six-plex in which we live gathered in a huddle along a boundary of our properties adjacent to where a newly constructed apartment block had been built. We gathered there to meet with the contractors of the new development which was now in its landscaping stage. Apparently in grading his development for drainage the sloping of the soil had inadvertently buried our property boundary stakes and encroached upon our land.

The apartment complex had already been built. Tenants had already begun to move in. Clearly what had been done could not now be undone. The contractors sincerely apologized, but the question was what now could be done about it? What reparations could be made so that all parties concerned could move forward in harmony?

They listened with empathy to our concerns and eventually an agreement was reached. The developers would build up our land with new soil to divert water pooling, they would channel this water to a nearby ditch and hire a surveyor to install new boundary stakes — and they would do all this at their expense.

This, on a much, much smaller scale, is similar to the situation Canada’s indigenous people faced when early settlers encroached upon them. But our ancestors did far worse than encroach…

“North America’s indigenous peoples were systematically uprooted from their traditional homes and villages, either through war, forced relocation, or threats of violence, and pushed into remote areas where they wouldn’t get in the way of European colonization. …uniquely susceptible to European disease, the vast majority of Canada’s aboriginal population quickly declined to a small minority as their death rate skyrocketed and European immigration increased.” [Source: https://thecanadaguide.com/history/early-history/]

Oh, what a different history Canada might have enjoyed had we approached this land’s inhabitants with kindness and with gratitude! In these days as more and more injustices are being revealed it behooves us all to make great reparations indeed!

As Christians we ought demonstrate the greatest love and compassion of all! Within us dwells the Holy Spirit of God Who grows in us the Agapé Love of God. This God is the One Who created all races and has determined their placement (Acts 17:26). He is the One to Whom in eternity all races will gather to praise (Rev. 7:9-10) – One kingdom, One Body, brothers and sisters all!

Oh Lord, help us to behave as One now!

More tomorrow…

To hear this past Sunday’s message, go to the Facebook page of Lincoln Baptist Church, or link to the livestream from the church website.

Friday, 10/1/21 – After Unity, Then What?

After Unity, Then What?

If you’ve been following my posts thru this week you will have noticed an emphasis on unity, acceptance of those with differing determinations of conscience on disputable matters, and of reconciliation as an essential soil for unified fellowship. Our World needs unity, our Nation needs unity, our communities need unity and God has called His Church to unity that we might be the sowers of unity to all.

“That we might be the sowers of unity to all” — Catch this vision with me. It is the vision of our Lord… Hear Him praying for you… for you… His Church,

“I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours… they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name… so that they may be one as we are one. …My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. …As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world….”

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:9-23, selected portions).

Jesus wants us from our unity to go out into this world and touch it for Christ.

In pandemics past this is exactly What the Church of Christ has done. Instead of looking inward, unified congregants sought to bring aid to the suffering. What a great opportunity this is to share the eternal hope that we have in Christ. Suffering and death need not alarm us. Though we take wise precaution to guard against illness, to eat and sleep and exercise, “we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” (2 Cor. 5:1). There, there will be plenty of forever to go around… plenty of forever to sing and to worship then. Now, here, we have but a short time to reach outward. Then, there, we will have no such opportunity.

Lord, bring Your great Church to unity that we may glorify Your Name!

Press on…

Got a question? Use the Contact page and send It to me. We’ll search the Word for God’s answer.

Thursday, 9/30/21 – Fellowship: Truth & Reconciliation

Fellowship: Truth & Reconciliation

Today has been designated a “National Day for Truth and Reconciliation,” a day to honour residential school survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process. Great wrongs were committed against our First Nation peoples. This truth must be faced, and wrongs must be confessed and corrected for reconciliation and true fellowship to be restored.

The Creation of Adam, Michaelangelo

The parallels between this reality and the much broader gospel of God are very clear: Great wrong is committed against our God and Father. Each one of us is guilty; our best efforts are all “as filthy rags” before Him. This truth must be faced, and our sin must be confessed and corrected for reconciliation and true fellowship with our Maker to be restored!  

What must we do? We must admit to the Truth that wrought our alienation, we have turned away from our God, we have each gone our own way, we have rejected and abused, and sought to put to death His Son. What is the Truth? Christ this Son is the Truth. Making peace with Him by Him, is our only path to Reconciliation with the Father, to Unity with the saints and household of God.

And God has appointed a day, a Global Day, a day of Truth and of Reconciliation. God has appointed a day, and that day is Today: “Today is the day of salvation…” (2 Cor. 6:2).

He invites you to call upon Him this day, to come to Him, that He may draw near to you. Then He calls upon you: He calls upon you to call upon others as Paul outlines,

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:18-21)

Then, reconciled with our God, we are in the best place from which to build reconciliation with others, with our First Nations people and all others.

Press on…

Are you interested in being discipled one-on-one in the fundamentals of life in Christ? Or, would you like to begin this journey by turning from your current path and committing your path to Christ? — Use the Contact page and we’ll get you started.