Onward Christian Lovers

2 Corinthians 5:16-21          Onward Christian lovers

         I have written in the recent past (11-7-12) about moving forward. That is, recognizing and appreciating the past from which we have come. Appreciating that which has contributed to our formation and yet not living in that past. We are meant to grow and move forward; to grow and morph into the beauty that we are all meant to be, that we in fact all have within us.

           When we move forward, as this reading points out, we are to move forward as a new being. We are no longer to judge ourselves by what we were, what we may have done. We are new beings. This concept is best exemplified in what the sacrament of reconciliation is meant to be.  Too often we might 'go to confession' and we do not let go of the thing we went in to confess about. True reconciliation, true repentance means we are changed and we are moving forward.  There should be no more guilt. That is a tall order if you have been raised Catholic or Jewish, the two major religions that have us packing ton's of luggage (for our guilt trips). In true reconciliation of any kind, you square what you have done and move onward.

            If you wish to make a new resolution, make your reconciliation with God and move forward in love and happiness and appreciation for the new birth - of you !

       

          

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.