The Rebuilding!

 

Our boundary wall remained damaged for about three months; during the Christmas week, the rebuilding began. 

It was not intentionally planned that way. But when the rebuilding began, I felt an inward movement to return to Bethlehem where Jesus was born. The birth of Jesus was to be the  fulfilment of the prophetic promise of the saviour. The hope of God revisiting His people remained shattered in the minds of those, who were waiting for the Kingdom of God. So the birth of Jesus announced by the star in the sky leading the shepherds to the town of Bethlehem was the beginning of God rebuilding hope in the lives of those who remained in darkness. 

The broken wall above brought to my memory some significant rebuilding events in the Jewish story. 

One part of the story which intrigued me was the resistance of Herod to welcome the birth of Jesus, to the extent that he plotted to kill children below two years of age in the hope that Jesus too will be eliminated. Herod fell to the trap of his mind. He failed to see the time and prophecy of which he too had become a part of. Herod was given a chance to follow the worshipful intent of the wise men, who came to enquire about the birth of Jesus. In fact Herod developed a tyrannical mind set to control and rule!

The broken walls offer an opportunity to rebuild. It is not rebuilding the history of the past, but an occasion to allow a transformational new beginning. 

With the passing away of Dr Manmohan Singh, two days ago, a former prime minister of India for ten years, we remember how he brought the country out of economic slide, while the western world suffered recession and economic stagnation. He is referred to a rebuilder of modern India to usher in economic freedom through liberalisation. He used his skills to rebuild an economy, which had crashed. 

Joseph and Mary became the rebuilders of the history of grace, forgiveness and freedom, which Jesus was able to bring through his incarnation!

As I saw two workers getting ready to rebuild the wall in the photos above, my thoughts were centred in Joseph and Mary. Their readiness to walk an unchartered path in their personal and family life enabled the rebuilding of the hope of God's redeeming presence in a broken world!

What preceded during the rebuilding of the wall today, was the excavation to lay new foundations to build the wall. The history of the wall, about 25 years old would now find continuity on a new foundation. 

The continuity and the new beginning!

At the end of the day, the mason completed half of the re-building which yielded fruits to his efforts to restore what was damaged and build a protection for the property for the future. 

The past and the future stay connected with the restoration of the broken wall. 

Jesus was born, which is historical. 

Its contemporary message is God is with us because of His coming!

In the recollection of the Christmas events there is a continuity of the redeeming activity of God from Noah, proceeding on to generations of people to whom the pathway to God was made known. 

And yet there was a new foundation for this rebuilding of relationship between God and seekers of God,  With the coming of Jesus a new foundation of relationships with God was established through forgiveness, grace and  of the blessing of new life to those who turn to Jesus in prayer. 

This rebuilding of relationship between God and seekers of God was what was announced in the glad tidings that the angels announced at the birth of Jesus. 

The past does not continue to perpetuate itself. The earlier revelation of God in the human history in multiple ways was a preparation to make the incarnational presence of God in the person  of Jesus. 

This new foundation of relationship with God is bathed in the self giving love of God. 

It is for this reason, Jesus called us to 'love your neighbour as yourself' which to me has been a struggle for me to grow in to that practice. 

 

To love there is a giving and receiving dimension. I find  this pursuit a long journey.....!  

However that is the way forward ! 

It was while watching the sunset the other day, I sensed the beyondness of a reality, distant, hallowed and awesome. 

To build loving relationships is a longing worth pursuing, however faltering every effort might turn out to be! 

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)