Inside Out Connection - Part 5

DAILY BYTE

The story is told of some soldiers in the First World War who carried one of their slain comrades to a nearby church in a rural part of France. There they asked the priest if he would bury their friend in the church graveyard. The priest asked if the dead man was a baptized member of the Catholic Church. When the soldiers replied that they didn’t know, the priest said that he was very sorry, but in that case he couldn’t allow the man to be buried in that graveyard. And so with heavy hearts the soldiers dug a grave outside the graveyard, buried their fallen comrade, and went on their way.

Some months later they happened to be in that region, and so decided to visit the grave of their friend. But as they looked for his grave outside of the graveyard fence they could find no trace of it. Confused, they approached the priest. He said, “After you left I was greatly troubled that night by my refusal to bury your friend in our graveyard. So the next morning I got up, and with my own hands moved the graveyard fence to include the grave of your friend.”

There are many fences that religious people knowingly or unknowingly erect that end up excluding others from hearing more about the Christian faith. Some examples would be:

• Religious jargon, for e.g.: “Sanctification means being clothed daily in the righteousness of the second Adam, by whose blood the sin of the first Adam has been redeemed.” (To which most people would say, “Huh?”)
• Judgemental, holier-than-thou attitudes.
• Feeling embarrassed, awkward or apologetic about one’s faith.
• The simple unwillingness to reach out to those outside the church

But like what happened with the priest in the story, the fences we erect can usually be moved if we but choose to include those who before were on the outside. The crucial question is, “Will we care enough to do so?”

Jesus cared enough. “He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.“ (Ephesians 2:17-18). Thank God that he cared enough to come!

PRAY AS YOU GO

Lord Jesus Christ, thank you that you cared enough to leave your throne in heaven and were willing to risk reaching out to us in love. You came to us to remove the fences that separated us from God. We praise you for this awesome demonstration of your love. Remind us of our calling as your disciples to share in your ongoing work of reaching out to those who are still far from God. Release us from our insecurities, pride and fear that would prevent us from fulfilling this holy responsibility.

FOCUS READING

Ephesians 2 :13-22 - (NIV) - One in Christ

13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.