Few moments in my life have ascended to a level that may best be described as transformative, however, this is one!
It was a crisp sunny, fall, November day in Atlanta, Georgia, while accompanying my wife on one of her trips for work. As was normal practice for me… while enjoying this favorable opportunity… I would spend my day leisurely exploring what the locale had to offer and plan an experience for the two of us when her work day ended... this day was no exception for that practice. I proposed to Kim we visit the Martin Luther King National Historical Park and surrounding area for that afternoon and evening. The suggestion was enthusiastically received but little did we anticipate the impact a random decision such as this would have on our lives.
When arriving at the Park, it appeared to truly be modest by National Park Standards. Expecting more elaborate structures and spacious surroundings, by contrast it was, tasteful and in no way pretentious. Having said that, the experience which was to follow presented itself in total contrast to first impressions of setting... to be continued tomorrow.
Before advancing this story, I feel it of relevant importance to define and make personal, the reconciliation we all have experienced through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus... God’s humble Servant. In Biblical terms, reconciliation means the end of estrangement between God and humanity… the separation authored by our egocentric imperfections (sin) needing pardon. In Old Testament vernacular, atonement, the blood sacrifice of lambs for purpose of cleansing, was practiced to make restitution for those imperfections. In New Testament vernacular, Jesus, God’s perfect Lamb has taken care of that restitution once and for all... final! No claim in life has greater significance than being able to humbly state, “we, are the people of Easter.”
2 Corinthians 5:18 affirms our reconciled condition but goes one step further by making us responsible for a new ministry, “All of this from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ who gave ’us the ministry of reconciliation.’”
Paul Harshner
