If the church is anything it’s a place for reconciliation. In the church, people are reconciled to God and each other. Unfortunately our mindset as consumers inhibits our work of reconciliation. If I don’t like what I wear I get something new. If I don’t like what I drive I get something new. If I want something to eat I have dozens of choices in where to get it. If I don’t like the way the church is I’ll find another one. If I don’t like my spouse I’ll find another one. If this relationship isn’t working I’ll ditch it and get one that does.

This consumerist approach to life doesn’t leave any room for the hard work of reconciliation. If I can pick whatever I want why in the world should I suffer through the trauma of reconciling with some one, why not just get a new one?

Reconciling people to people and people to God is never easy, and it’s never pretty. It always gets the dirty, greasy stuff in our lives all over everyone and everything around. Stuff like pride, pettiness, selfishness, anger, bitterness and what ever else you can think off get put on the table when people start to be reconciled. It’s ugly, it stinks and it’s down right embarrassing. Is there any wonder why we don’t want to do the hard work it takes to mend relationships.

While I could write for along time about the whys of reconciliation I’ll just mention the most obvious. If you refuse to reconcile you eventually end up alone. Division, heartache, struggle and fractures are part of having relationships. They’re as natural as breathing. If you can’t do what it takes to reconcile, you’ll eventually find your self all alone and probably find a way to blame it on every one else.

The world needs a place to see reconciliation work and that place is the church. People are dieing to see what relationship really is and Christ body is where they will find what they’re looking for.

If God is into anything he’s into reconciliation.