First Presbyterian Church of Arlington 663 Kearny Avenue Kearny NJ 07032-2935

"Healing and Reconciliation"

The end of this year’s Lenten Journey is upon us. On Maundy Thursday, we remember the “new” commandment Jesus gives us: the commandment to take up the cup of salvation and to love one another the same way Jesus loves us. When we lift up the cup of salvation together, we accept God’s ultimate promise of healing.

Practically, you and I think about healing when we talk of our physical wounds getting better, of our diseases cured, or of all the parts of our body moving in sync without feeling pain. Holy Week and Easter recall the depth and breadth of covenantal healing: reconciliation between God and us AND among all of us together. Then we all color the RAINBOW!

The healing of our divine and human relationships does not ignore the practical aspects of healing. As Jesus demonstrated in every healing story, spiritual and physical healing build upon each other. All healings happen in the passage of God’s gentle timing, radiant light, and spacious air. Wounds heal in the time and space our Lord gives us to accept God’s commitment to love our world, our enemies, our friends and each one of us. That is what the divine-human covenant is all about! When our soul-bodies participate in the Body of Jesus Christ, we are graced with faith to accept God’s will for all creation to celebrate in God’s abundant LIFE. That is the reconciliation enacted in the Easter Resurrection!

Easter reconciliation builds on Holy Week healing because that kind of reconciliation provides daily opportunities for the formation and reformation of our bonds together. As Easter people, we are committed to doing God’s loving will, being true to ourselves, and being in harmony with God’s universe. Practically and spiritually, only commitment to trusting in God’s grace will yield positive change. That’s the promise of the covenant.

During this Easter Season, consider what it means to be sisters and brothers in this faith community. On Wednesdays, our Bible Study will explore biblical brothers and sisters. May God grant us the courage to accept our interdependence in Christ Jesus so that we can rejoice in the ways we complement one another. Don’t you know? Together we can be healing miracles?

Love in the joy of Christ’s peace, Deborah