Monday Matters
Welcome to Monday Matters, a weekly offering from Circle City Fellows, helping you to reflect on the intersections of faith, work, and Indianapolis’ flourishing.
This week, our fellows are diving into excerpts from Reconciling All Things: A Christian Vision for Justice, Peace, and Healing, by Emmanuel Katongole and Chris Rice.
When the authors talk about “reconciling all things,” they refer to relational, cultural, or racial brokenness–from slavery and racism in the United States, to genocide in Rwanda, to income inequality, and beyond. We might define brokenness as anything which gets in the way of all people having what they need and no people being afraid (phrases you may remember as part of CCF’s vision).
Brokenness exists in our personal lives and hearts, in our global society, and also in the workplace. Later in the fellowship, participants will be asked to notice brokenness in their work, companies, or industries. But in the meantime, we begin by considering why reconciliation matters to God and, by extension, why it must matter to Christians. Katongole and Rice’s vision for the “redemption of all things” helps us think holistically about God’s redemptive story.
As you read the following excerpts, ask yourself what areas in your life and work might be in need of reconciliation.
“Reconciliation is not merely the sum total of our work; it’s also the peculiar gift we learn to receive as we live into the story of God’s people.”
“Christianity does not exist to motivate people for work within the prevailing visions of reconciliation. Rather, Christianity offers distinct gifts of seeing, speaking about, engaging and being transformed within the world and its brokenness.
While this vision has often been implicit, we contend it must be made explicit. Without a clear theological vision, God’s dream of reconciliation offers no better hope to a world that groans for another way. Without being explicitly articulated, the vision cannot be sustained. It is inevitably replaced by dominant social visions. And the church begins to look and sound like one more social agency or NGO, or an escapist flight from social pain.
We are claiming that there is a deeper, richer hope God offers to the world. Yet we have forgotten the very source that makes reconciliation a distinct gift and vision of hope. When we step back, two things come clear: first, God’s life-giving vision grows out of a story; and second, that story is about a quieter revolution.”
Questions for Reflection:
Consider the narrative arc of Scripture. In what ways does the Bible support and articulate a vision of reconciliation between humans and God, among people, between people and creation, and within ourselves?
What area(s) of brokenness exist in your workplace or industry? In other words, in what ways is God’s dream of shalom, dignity, and abundant life being thwarted or stymied in your workplace?
How might your workplace change if these areas of brokenness are repaired? What does reconciliation look like in the workplace?
