Reconnecting

Something I hear often from my friends outside the church is this: I’m spiritual but not religious… I’m sure you’ve heard this too. I even said it myself. And usually it is said meaning: I’m not into all the rules of religion. But what’s missing in that, is that word religion actually has a powerful origin. It comes from the Latin re-ligio – to re-ligament – to reconnect – to reconnect with God. In Christianity, there is a strong emphasis on re-connecting with other people as a way of re-connecting with God.

In that sense, I want to be religious. I want play a role in re-connecting people with each other and with God. The truth is, in this day and age, we need more people like this. We need more people who are willing to let go of pride and their need to be right. We need more people who can let go of the differences that divide and work instead to bring folks together.

I’m remembering again the astronaut Nicole Stott who spoke at our Dial Hope Friendraiser. She told us that the view from space – a God’s-eye view as it were, made it very clear that our life together as human beings is shared. We are in this together.

In his second letter to the Corinthians (6:17-18), the Apostle Paul wrote:

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation…

Let us pray: As you have loved us, O God, help us to love others. As you have reconciled us to yourself, may we work toward reconciliation with others. Use us even now as ambassadors of your grace. We ask in Jesus name. Amen.