Reconcilation - Reflection on Easter Sunday 2024

For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross. Colossians 1.19-20

An article popped up on my Facebook feed telling the story of the world’s longest bus route from London to Calcutta that began in 1957 and continued into the 60’s becoming  known as the ‘Hippy Bus.’ 

 In 1981 I was living and working for Church Army in Victoria, London. In November I walked around the corner and caught a coach to Morocco! This was organised by Oak Hall Expeditions. www.oakhall.co.uk/  That adventure was very important going forward, but that’s a story for another time.

I wonder what journey you are on and what do you think is your destination and the destination of all your fellow travellers, i.e. other humans.

It may be something like the first picture attached with the cross being the bridge to heaven. As an evangelist I have used a model of this type but in a simpler form seeking to show that there is nothing we can do to bridge the gap between us and God, only Jesus and the cross can do that. This model has some merit but does presupposes someone is already trying to get to God!

On Resurrection Sunday our Vicar, Alan, reminded us that that the first Easter day inaugurated a conjoined trajectory which will ultimately bring heaven and earth together in a new creation.  (Revelation 21).  I began to play with the cross image in my mind and came up with another image. Jesus and the Cross intersects history at a very particular point and in a very particular way resetting the trajectory lost in the rebellion of the first human couple as told in the Genesis story.

 As you look at the first picture of earth, this is in the context of the creation narrative, with its heaven and earth reality. The second image as the new heaven and earth. Jesus reconciles and bring them back onto a trajectory which will see them once more combined as a common heaven and earth reality, God and creation living together in harmony.  Humans fulfilling their sacred mandate to be royal priest working in harmony with God in the new creation.

Evangelism and the Gospel story then becomes about an invitation to be part of this enterprise. The journey of discipleship is to learn how to live in this now and not yet moment, technically known as inaugurated eschatology.  During Lent, at St Oswald’s we were encouraged to read John Mark Comer’s book, ‘Practising the Way.’ He picks up the idea of a disciple following a Rabbi (he prefers apprentice as a better term for today). His strap line is simply, to follow Jesus, to become like Jesus and to do the things Jesus did.

Personally, I find this model far more engaging and dynamic.  Its sits well with the Lord’s Prayer when we ask that God’s will is done on earth as in heaven. I often refer to our seeking a ‘realized Lord’s Prayer.’ 

What do you think is our destination?  There are number of choices. Heaven, hell, earth/heaven (new creation), reincarnation or simply oblivion to name but some. 

What story do you think the Bible is telling us in its overarching narrative? These are important questions to sit with as they will affect our daily lives and what we perceive as the Gospel and what Jesus’ resurrection effected.