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In so many ways, our world is split apart. That brokenness cannot have the last word, though--God is engaged in a grand reunification movement. He calls humans to join with him in putting back together those broken pieces in Christ.

That was, after all, the effect of Jesus’s life (and death, and resurrection). Reconciliation. Through him, God will “reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Col. 1:20). As lovers and disciples of Jesus, our Lord invites us to join in this reconciliation project. Paul wrote:

if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. [2 Corinthians 5:18-6:1]

As ambassadors of peace, we unite God and people. We also unite people with other people. We even unite people with the rotting creation itself. We bring healing to pain, resolution to brokenness, and hope to despair. What could be more appealing to the Christian than that?

After all, Jesus (our Teacher) has this way of bringing together broken systems in the world (see Ephesians 2:13-17). He has done it with us (Romans 5:1; Colossians 1:21-22) and longs to do it with our families, friends, and communities (Isaiah 9:6-7).

This whole project finds its resolution in the homecoming of our Husband and King. When he comes again, this grand experiment will consummate. So, we prepare his people for the return of their King, uniting them with him in spiritual marriage. This marriage is the fulfillment of every marriage here and now. In it, there is no rightful guilt, shame, or fear. This Husband loves, forgives, and remains unconditionally. He is what our rent-apart world craves.

Let's join with him in restoring a broken world to its Healer. "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth" (Ephesians 1:7-10).