"And that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity" (Ephesians 2:16).
If the middle wall of partition has indeed been broken down by the death of Christ (see Eph. 2:13-14), why then do so many people inside the kingdom still meet a stone wall where true fellowship is concerned? Why does the wall still divide black and white, rich and poor, those with social status and those without? I believe it is because Christians have not been taught that the basis of their unity is belonging.
Unity begins when we get our theology straight. If the wall has been broken down and yet the wall is still there, it is because someone has been busy building it up again! What is a wall? It’s a barrier – something that includes others and excludes you. We sense it, though it be unseen, between people inside the church. We see different factions with religious and personal differences. Yet our unity is in belonging. For through Him we all have access by one Spirit unto the Father. He sees all of us kneeling down at our bedsides at the end of the day!
I must tell Jesus, “The wall will not be built by my hands!” I must not be a builder of walls. I must lay down my trowel and use my hands rather to reach out to my brother and sister in love. I need to keep acting as if the barrier isn’t there; I need to walk through it and speak into years of silence. I must write another letter and extend another dinner invitation. I must do what I can to make sure others know I believe in belonging!
PRAYER
Lord, forgive me for the walls I have been building by creating distance between any of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Help me to remember that I have so much in common with every person in Your body, and to see the opportunities for fellowship with a brother or sister who may be hurting for connection, a person You might be sending my way for Your purposes in my life. Thank You for the unity we find in belonging to You. Amen.
