Message of Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

 

"All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, entrusting to us the message of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:18-19 NIV).

When you think of the 'one anothers' of Scripture, such as:  love one another, pray for one another, bear one anothers' burdens, encourage one another and exhort and admonish one another, we can think of the ministry of reconciliation.

Helping our friends and brothers and sisters-in-Christ to be reconciled with each other is good counseling practice.  Helping people be reconciled from our differences and difficulties in life is a peacemaker's challenge.  As we reach out  with the one anothers we can be moderators of healing and hope.

Even when there are winners and losers - so called - in a strife, there is the difficult task of swallowing ones' pride in order to make reconcilaiton but such action will have its rewards.

I was recently in Quebec City, Canada on a walking tour.  The guide showed us and obelisk commemorating the reconcilaition between the two opposing Generals, Wolfe and Montcalm, at the end of the thirty minute Battle of the Plains of Abraham (aka the Battle of Quebec) between the French and the British.   The French were defeated and had to retreat to Beauport.  Both generals were mortally wounded.  

The Wolfe-Montcalm Monument was eventually placed in the Governor's Garden near the Chateau Frontenac, Quebec.  It boasts of being the oldest monument in Quebec City and second oldest war monument in Canada (1827), so wikipedia.org told me.

It is of great interest to me that the words inscribed upon the obelisk were/are written not in French, nor in English but in Latin, a neutral language.  Afterall, this was to signify reconciliation between the two entities.  According to the wikipedia article, this inscription translates to:

  "Their courage gave them a common death, history a common fame, posterity a common memorial".

Too bad the reconciliation came post-trauma but at least it came.  Perhaps we, in our day and age, could attempt to pre-empt the fatal battles to begin with.

If you choose to call this type of reconciliation ministry pschology or counseling, some folks in need may not be receptive to accepting our ministrations but brothers and sisters-in Christ, don't get hung up on terminology, cutting off your nose to spite your face.  Allow yourself to be ministered to and be willing to pass it on.  There are friends who sincerely care.  Just pray those friends will be gentle, diplomatic and full of empathy as you confidentially pour out your stories to their listening ears.

Jesus did this, so we can too.  

Let's bring the message of hope, healing and reconcilation to all our friends in need.

                                                       ~ ERC  June 2024 ~

Based on Chapter 1 - You Can Help People from the book Counseling Freinds in Need by Harold J. Sala Questions 1 & 2.

Sing,  Come to Jesus, along with People of the Earth.