Holding One Another Up
A group of prison inmates were given a rare treat of an open visit with their families. Some hadn’t seen their children in years. Instead of talking through a glass panel, they could touch and hold their loved ones. The tears flowed freely as families grew closer and wounds began to heal.
For some readers, this was just a story. But for these families, holding one another was a life-changing event – and for some, the process of forgiveness and reconciliation had begun. For many of us this week, it has been a time of ups and downs. We watched the events of General Conference 2019 with fear and trembling. GC 2019 tells us that we are a divided church on some issues. We have been divided on sexuality since 1972, and we’re still divided. Some left St. Louis this week thinking they had won and some thinking they have lost. The One Church Plan could not get any traction, and the Traditional Plan got more votes. We remain a divided church on the subject of sexuality.
God’s forgiveness of our sin and offer of reconciliation was made possible through His Son. This is more than a mere fact of the Christian faith. The news of Jesus’ reconciliation is great news not just for the world, but for you and me. When we are divided, the fact of God’s unending mercy becomes personal news: because of Jesus’ dying on our behalf, we can come to the Father washed clean, “whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7) We are all sinners. No matter what side of the issue we are on, we can depend on God’s unfailing love and compassion.
May we hold one another up!
Psalm 51:1 – “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love.”
By the Rev. Tommy Herndon
Image: Adobe iStock