People
of God: return!
You
are called to be God’s own.
From
the mountains announce the good news.
God
comes in justice and peace,
to
all who follow his ways.
You
are God’s children.
Lord,
make us one in the peace of Christ
today
and for ever.
Amen.
Lord,
make us one in the peace of Christ today and for ever.
‘Today,’
I think, we understand. But ‘for ever’ is a very long time, extending
far beyond what we can possibly imagine. How on earth dare we hope to live in
peace for ever? My wife and I have been together for a quarter of a century. Of
course, it would be a nonsense to claim that every moment has been harmonious;
and yet, our relationship testifies to the reality that we have chosen to live
in peace, not enmity. The peace of Christ—the flourishing that Jesus has made
possible by overcoming all that opposes such flourishing—is not simply a given
(though it is that) but something we must choose to return to, again and again,
today, every day, for ever. Moreover, the peace of Christ includes the very
possibility of such a return at all: ‘Repent and believe, for the kingdom of
God has come near!’
No comments:
Post a Comment