Face to Face Again (12/20/2023)

I admit I’m odd. I could insist that others refer to me as unique or different; however, I am willing to admit it’s more than that. I’m odd. A crooked frame, a pillow askew, a crooked single file can give me a tic. Things setting out when they should be put away or things in the wrong place make me squirm. But the thing that will most disturb me is when I and another person are not “quite right” - when there is something out of sorts between us. When that happens, I seek the other out. Life is too short to put off peace until tomorrow.

Yesterday I asked to meet with another to set things right, to reconcile (literally to get back together from the Latin). My friend had texted a few times, but I know that isn’t the same as meeting face to face, being able to really hear the tone of the other’s voice and see the true expressions. Often what is most important is not the uttered word but the expression holding in the unsaid words. We set a time to meet. And while the first few moments were tense, in no time, we were able to reconcile our differences and recognize each other’s true concern for one another.

We are in the season dedicated to reconciling. The whole reason for Christmas is the Almighty Father’s desire to be reconciled with humanity with Him. And the story has so many chapters of reconciliation leading up to the manger in Bethlehem: Zechariah reconciling with the LORD and calling his son John as instructed by the angel he’d doubted and regaining his voice; Joseph thinking of quietly divorcing Mary but convinced in a dream that Mary was bearing the Son of God; the Son of God coming to us as the son of Mary, our brother.

Through Christ, the LORD meets face to face with us. Through Christ, the LORD and humanity are reconciled. In person, the LORD saves us – not from a distance – not detached - but in person.

During this time of preparing by reconciling with one another and with our all-loving and all-present LORD, let us take time to meet face to face. Let us seek our LORD intentionally. Let us sit in the LORD’s presence intentionally. Let us seek full reconciliation with our LORD. And let us seek full reconciliation with our sisters and brothers with whom we have “an issue.” Let us seek the restoration of the peace and wholeness and unity the LORD desires for us.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.