OMC XVIII reminded us God’s intention and means to reconcile all things to Himself. God’s intention is to transform not only individuals but also communities, nations, and the whole earth. Colossians 1:20 says that “And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, whether things in earth or things in Heaven.” The blood that our Lord Jesus shed in the cross is powerful enough to wash away not only the sins of the people but also the sins of the whole earth; for the whole earth has fallen into condemnation. As we surrender our body, mind, and soul to God, God’s Holy Spirit will enter, rule, and empower us to be God’s agent for reconciliation.
It is surprising but yet humbling that God chooses us, His weak and broken people, to accomplish the task. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” God will heal our communities, nations, and the whole earth, if we follow and obey His commandments. Jesus said that all the commandments in the bible can be summarized into two. Firstly, we have to love the Lord our God with all your heart, soul, and mind; secondly, we shall love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39). If we notice, the key word in those two commandments is love. It is not a passive but active love that our Lord Jesus meant in these passages as He later on demonstrated in dying on the cross. God expects us to follow the footsteps of Jesus by seeking to demonstrate love in real way. The love we share sacrificially is the means to transform and eventually reconcile all things to God.
We learnt from both the scriptures and the history that the church was instrumental in bringing transformation. Our Lord Jesus commands us in John 13:34-35, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” In this passage, our Lord Jesus asked His disciple to follow His example in loving our brother and sisters among them. Jesus wants His church to be known exactly for how its members love one another. Jesus understands the longing of every human being: to be a part of a community where love is expressed genuinely.
The love presence within the church will be the guiding light which shines and impact the surrounding community. The church known for its undying love has the credibility to shine upon lies existed in its community. For example, the church can expose corruption with wider support from the community which minimizes the retaliation from the corruptors. The church with this attribute can bring significant impact because of the wider corporation and support from its community. The church can then transform its community and the nation overtime by continually replacing lies with God’s truth.
However, the church can only make impact if they actively seek to serve one another and the surrounding community. The speakers in OMC XVIII proposed that we started a “seed project”. A seed project is a small project that is initiated by the church member to meet the need of its community. This small community project is part of the church member own personal journey to be discipline to practice love and eventually be transformed. For example, as we study about reconciling all things in our Sunday school, we could do small things like building community garden where the parents can safely bring their kids to play. Basically, the focus of our study should not be inward but outward. We should strive to have a lifestyle of service instead of personal holiness.