Reconciliation

Way of Peace

restoreroflostvoices

     When Jesus approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. Luke 19: 41, 42 NASB     

Jesus climbed the dusty, rugged road to Jerusalem. The last few miles of His journey were the steepest. He’d healed the sick, blind, and lame; and, He’d eaten with the outcasts and offenders. He also stooped to bless the children and instructed the crowds with parables, applicable stories of their times. Jesus had called and sent His disciples out to “fish for men.” Then He sent seventy more out in pairs to announce His coming. His mission was simple: 


“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19: 10 NASB

     Jesus drew near to Bethany and Mount Olivet, the olive grove that He’d often fled to for solitude. Rest was found in the shade of the gnarly, twisted trees and their messy, bruised fruit. Bystanders placed their cloaks on a donkey colt for Him to ride on and laid their coats on the road. They praised God and recognized Jesus as their Messiah. Yet, as Jesus approached His beloved city, He wept, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace!” 

     Jesus is the “Way of Peace.”

     The Son of Man walks with us today. He gifts us with His example as He guides us through our valleys and o’er the rough ridges. He leads with humility and compassion, care and concern. Jesus made room for the children, the weak and vulnerable, and His Heavenly Father. When we lay our cloaks down, our rights, ranks, and responsibilities, and choose solitude and rest with the Father, we’re not only revived; but, we’re better able to see His Way of Peace. 

     Peace is born in the shade of the bent, broken, and fallen, the beaten, bruised, and refined. When we are completely undone, the Prince of Peace can have His way. His grace alone saves. Inner calm, contentment, and harmony and reconciliation with others begins with Him. 

     We must let His light in!

Lord, have your way with us.

Lily Mae

  

Puzzle Pieces

restoreroflostvoices
Psalm 60: Lily of Testimony

O God, Thou hast rejected us. Thou hast broken us; Thou has been angry; O, restore us. Thou hast made the land quake, Thou has split it open; heal its breaches, for it totters. Psalm 60: 1-2 NASB

    David faced two military battles in the Valley of Salt and was confused by the outcome. He grieved Israel’s defeat and losses and cried for relief. He felt abandoned by God. However, it was in that basin that the Lord began to fulfill His promises to David, to make him a strong leader, give him rest from his enemies, and plant him in a place where he’d find peace.

The Lord protected David and made his name great. His name means “beloved!” The remedy for our brokenness comes through David’s family line. Jesus, our Beloved. 
    
Our nation has been shaken, the country is split, and angry flames set by some in response to injustice threaten to consume our cities, but Jesus is our Balm of Gilead. He is a City of Refuge.  Through Him alone our fractures can be restored and beauty birthed.  
     
Restore—a thousand puzzle pieces, colors and perspectives, and a thousand things to do. 
     
We must return to the table. Repent. Forgive. Listen. Engage to understand. Dig deep. Revisit. Reverse. Break. Build. Circumcise. Join. Carry. Retreat. Recover. Retrieve. Bring home. Feed. Refresh. Slide back. Speak. Affirm. Say “no!” Change our mind. Turn back. Reestablish. Relent. Reset our thoughts and plans. Wait. Resume. Return to the table. Collaborate. Then do it again. Healing is no easy task.
    
Restoration requires the framework of divine and human effort. Like David’s desperate plea, we must repent. We must seek God’s forgiveness and ask His help.  
     
We have also faced two battles as a nation, COVID19 and the injustice of George Floyd’s death have threatened us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. How we respond will impact our future. Jesus willingly laid down His life for us in the face of injustice. He was slandered, slapped, beaten, and scourged. Then crucified for us. Our cities belong to Him, the strong defenders and weaker servants, the helmets, washbowls, and scepters, and the marked and rural edges. God is concerned for our well-being. Boundaries must be set. Removed. Written and re-written. But who will bring Him to the besieged cities?
    
George Floyd’s death left us with a responsibility. Names were birthed with meaning and purpose in biblical times. George means farmer or worker, and Floyd means gray-haired. Pause. Ponder. It goes back to the beginning. Mankind was created in God’s image. Male and Female. Black and White. Colorful. Rich and poor. Beauty in our differences. All called with purpose.
   
Farming is strenuous work and requires long days. Whether Floyd was a farmer or not, we’ve learned that he was a servant. He loved God and the people of God. Healing begins with humility, the one who is ready and willing to work the soil. What will you plant? Seeds of hate and revenge, or seeds of mercy and loving kindness? Reconciliation calls for us to work together; we need to be open and vulnerable. It may get dirty and uncomfortable. Nevertheless, we must start with ourselves. Unless a seed die, it will not produce. When have we contributed to racism? How have we caused our brothers and sisters to hurt? Where can we do better? It starts with our thoughts and progresses to our speech and actions.

When the flooded river banks recede, will the valley between our rocky pandemics be loaded with salt? Or, has God’s people lost their flavor? We are the salt of the earth. Oh! That we would preserve life by Jesus’ example. 

Take a hold of your piece. Begin!

Lily Mae