Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother
hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be
reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift (Mt.5:23-24).
They are close, yet they are far away. There are walls that separate us that are
difficult to tear down, and harder to ignore. For where we would simply walk away, we also
want to run toward. For what we have with one so close, is balanced somewhere between
fulfillment and risk. And we hang our heads in certain frustration for what a person is to
us.
Our hopes would be that we have no conflict with the people in our lives. We desire the
smooth and settled waters of a stable and mature relationship. But we also fear the times
of turmoil, when things aren't quite so pleasant.
It is in those times that we often find our truest friends. They will not run away from us
when we are not our best. We all fall down from time to time, but there is one who will
not simply pass by on the other side of the road--there is one who will stay with you
until you are able once again to stand. It is the friend that sticks closer than a
brother.
And should we remain beside the one who falls and fails to stand, we learn what it means
to endure hard times and pray for patience in the meantime. For though we remain with one
who is not his or her self, we sometimes feel that we have little strength to remain there
for them. It is a wearying experience, and one we should not endure alone. For just as we
would be there for another, there are those who are ready to be there for us--to help us,
as we help someone else.
But consider now the struggle. You have a friend who is near and dear to you, or perhaps
it is an acquaintance. Conflict arises and so does the first impulse to run to your
prospective corners. The tension grows thicker and so do the walls. It becomes difficult
to even say hello as you pass each other on your way. And though there is a part of you
that desires to run away, there is a strong compelling to draw near. Part of you wants to
remain angry, while another part desires to reconcile your differences. Many times the
anger wins out--at least for a time. We hold grudges and harbor ill feelings, all the
while we desire to have things back to the way they once were.
The song says, "Precious and few are the moments we two can share." Our time
here is short, and our quality, alone time with certain others is even shorter. And though
we recognize and realize that our time together is something we should try to make the
best possible, we continue being angry and remain withdrawn, and for what? More often than
not, its to prove some kind of a point that we know one day we will look back on and
think, "How petty."
Jesus came to reconcile. He came to reconcile us to God and to each other. He has given us
what is called a ministry of reconciliation, and what we may not realize is that we cannot
effectively minister, teach or lead others to be reconciled with God, if we refuse to be
reconciled with each other. If we would stop to take a moment to look through our issues
that stand as walls, we will discover that they are not worth allowing them to prevent us
from effectively sharing the love of God with others. It's time to tear down the walls--if
not for ourselves--certainly for a lost and dying world who needs to see what it means to
be forgiven.
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I
forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven
times: but, Until seventy times seven
(Mt. 18:21-22).
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