Wonderful Reunion

Scriptures: “All this is from God, Who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God!” (II Corinthian 5:18-20)

Over this New Year holidays, I came across a TV program called The Locator. This is a program about a team of people who help others reunite with their loved ones. This program was founded by a gentleman by the name of Troy Dunn. Troy started his career as a private investigator. But, after he re-united his mother with her birth parents, he discovered the needs and the meaning of this task of locating people. So he set out to help people re-unite with their loved ones.

In one of the episodes I saw, a young girl and her high-school sweet heart had a baby girl before they got married. Because they were so young and not capable of taking care of the baby, they decided to give the baby away for adoption through a church. As a result, they were separated from the baby since then. Later, they went on to get married and had three other children.

But the separation from their first daughter remained a tender point in their lives. Even after years have gone by, when they heard that The Locator team could help them locate their long lost daughter, they went for it and were blessed to find that their daughter was never really that far away from them and that she has been doing well.

The joy of the scene of reunion reminded me of the scenes of reunions recorded in the 15th chapter of the book of Luke where the shepherd found the lost sheep; the woman found the lost coin, and the father was reunited with his prodigal son. Each of them similarly went through a period of separation and searching, and each of them was finally reunited with the long lost loved one in joy and celebrations.

I can’t help wondering why finding the lost loved one is so important to us. People lost things all the time. To some of them, we shrug our shoulder and move on. But, to others, we would go through every drawer and boxes, sometimes even getting search and recue team to go up and down the hills and valleys to find them. Why is there such a difference?

I suppose when the thing or people became a meaningful part of our lives, losing them is like creating a void in our lives which would drive us to find them to make us complete again. The greatest void in life would be the one created by the absence of God in our lives. I am convinced that, when Jesus gave the parable of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the prodigal son (Luke 15), He intended to tell the Pharisees and the Scribes the reason, the joy and the meaning of God’s desire to reunite with all lost souls.

The reunion means the void fulfilled, the broken/twisted relationship amended, and a joy that cannot be concealed. After the Apostle Paul was found by the Lord Jesus, his hatred for Christians was replaced with love and his ministry turned from persecution to evangelism. He experienced the joy of reunion with God first hand and fully understood God’s heart in bringing all back in reunion with Himself. But, before he implored us to be reconciled to God, he talked about the ministry and message of reconciliation that were given him. He considered himself and all his co-workers ambassadors of Christ, bearing the message of reconciliation to this lost world, through whom God made His appeal for reunion.

In many ways, Paul and his co-workers were just like the Locator team. The difference is the work of Paul and his team has eternal impacts that bring joy to both heaven and earth. As we stand at the beginning of a new year, a new decade, I wonder if you have a new-year resolution for the year 2010? What impact would your new-year resolution have on you? For this year? For the rest of your life? How about making it one for eternity? I am sure you will find the joy of helping people reunited with God is beyond all our understanding, Be a locator for God and have a fruitful year!

Prayer Requests:
For those suffering from separation from their loved ones

Prayer:
Our loving God, thank You for sending Your Son to be our Savior and for sending Your Spirit to find and reunite us with You. Now that we have been made anew, help us to be Your instruments in bringing other people into reunions with You for we know nothing pleases You more than the lost being found. Help us to be bold and wise as we share the good news of our Lord Jesus because we pray in His mighty name, Amen!