Theokritos, Bion Und Moschos (1855)

Have you ever felt alienated from God? From other people? Even from yourself? Everything God has done or will do in human history is summed up in the word areconciliation.a Death, in the Bible, is frequently not terminal but refers to separation from God, His people, and often from ourselvesawithin ourselves. The apostle Paul wrote, aThe wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ, our Lord.a On the cross, Jesus accomplished everything involved in reconciliation. In a world plagued by Jingoism, world wars, police action, Viet Nam, suicide bombings, and a War on Terrorism, the church needs to be more acutely aware of its ministry of reconciliation. In the presence of racism, economic inequity, and the abuse of women in the name of religion, Christians must bring the cross of Calvary into the world where people struggle for hope and understanding.