By Pastor David Constien

With division defining our country and politics these days, the Bible gives us good news for our life in a divided world, a promise to  hold on to and live by. Addressing division within the church at  Ephesus, the Apostle Paul reminded the Ephesians (Ephesians 2:12- 17) that they were at one time living without hope and without God in  the world.

Pastor David Constien

But that all changed when those who were “far off” were  “brought near” by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. There, Paul says,  Jesus made us one (with God, and in faith, with one another) and  broke down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility. He reconciled us  all to God in one body through the cross, killing the hostility.

There really is nothing new under the sun, as King Solomon  says. Tensions among the various tribes, nations, languages, and  tongues have been around since the beginning of time. The Apostle  Paul reminds us that what humans of all types need to affirm and  confess is that no matter how divided we may be, we are all united in  bearing the effects and separation of sin in ourselves. It may be cliché,  but there really is only one race by God’s creation and that is the  human race. We’re all ultimately from the same Hand and became  infected with the same sin that separated us from our Creator and from  one another.

But the good news is that the continuous fragmentation that  was the hallmark of history began to be reversed by the profound love  of God in Jesus Christ. Jesus took all the divisions, all the separations,  and all the alienations into His own flesh and He destroyed them there!  The hatred in the world is what killed Jesus, but somehow, in God’s  Plan, that hatred that killed Jesus is precisely what Jesus took into His  body and there He killed it! He killed the hostility! Jesus is our  peace!

We can believe and cling to this promise – that Jesus has torn  down the things that divide, the hostility is over! And through faith in  him, God has begun to recreate one new humanity, to be complete  when he comes again. We may not see this now with our physical  eyes, but all are invited to know this reality by faith – that Jesus is our  peace. The answer for our divisions already exists!

So, when the divisions start to rise, when the hatred and  hostility start to come, with faith we take it and put it back into the 

wounds of Jesus! Leave it where it belongs – in the body of Jesus, and  where He left it behind – in the empty tomb! 

Yes, life in this divided world means challenges will come,  divisions rise, and peace will sometimes seem far away. It’s a world  that still requires a lot of care until Jesus returns. He is our peace.  Peace and unity that can seem so fragile actually exist because of what  God has done in Jesus. 

Living in light of this, we must remember that we’re not just  people on the opposite sides of an issue or conviction. We must not  demonize the other. The muckraking, personal attacks, speaking in  extremes and exaggerations, the misrepresentations and half-truths we  see and hear around us only feed on conflict and strengthen  polarization. It only makes it increasingly difficult to see each other’s  humanity, to hear God’s call to peace, and to heed his commission to  love. 

We need to listen and strive for understanding as we work  toward our common good. We need to slow down, take a deep breath,  and put the hostility back where it belongs – in the wounds of Jesus,  and where he left it behind – in his empty tomb! May God grant it in  our lives, our country, and in this world.

Rev. David Constien, Pastor of Mesquite Lutheran Church, proclaims the Word of God in its truth and purity in worship on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. and in Bible studies on Sundays at 8:30 a.m. Visit: mesquitelutheran.org, Facebook: @mesquiteLCC, (702) 346-5811 for more information. Mesquite Lutheran Childcare Center is available at (702) 346-3954.