Broken
On Sundays, we’ve started studying through Genesis together. Yesterday, I taught and led a discussion on Genesis chapters 3 and 4. While the first two chapters of Genesis focused on creation (and specifically the creation of mankind and the special relationship between mankind and God and between man and woman), by the time we get to chapters 3 and 4, we find out why our world is broken.
The brokenness that begins in chapter 3 affects everything in our life. In fact, apart from Adam and Eve and Jesus, no one else in Scripture (or history) knows what it means to live without sin. But, in the cases of Adam and Eve, they were affected by sin. And, even Jesus had to live within a world that was broken by sin.
In fact, the brokenness of this world not only affects our life, but affects the way that we see everything else (much like looking through a shattered window). Even when we read chapters 1 and 2 of Genesis (and the last few chapters of Revelation), our understanding is limited by our own brokenness and our perspective which is clouded by sin.
Of course, in spite of the brokenness of this world, we have been re-created by Christ and we have been reconciled to God and to one another. This is the great plan and mission of God that also begins to be unfolded in Genesis 3. Now that we have been reconciled to God by Christ, we have also been given the service of reconciliation.
We cannot reconcile other people to God, nor can we reconcile other people to one another. But, God has chosen to work through us to present his message of reconciliation.
Yes, the world is broken, but God has reconciled and is reconciling the world to himself through Christ. As his ambassadors, we should always consider how we are representing God and presenting his reconciliation to the world.
“how we are representing God and presenting his reconciliation to the world.”
I think we should meet people half way.