2018 Session 3: Reconciliation to Others by D.A. Horton

We use the term racial reconciliation to talk about the unity between different people groups. D. A. Horton defined reconciliation: to once again be conciled (removal of animosity) to someone. There has never even been a conciliation between the ethnicities, so the word REconciliation is not appropriate. We use the word race but because there is only one race - the human race - ethnicity is more appropriate in this context. Ethnic conciliation will be possible when the church stops withholding compassion. D. A. used this passage from Luke 10:25-37 to give a biblical example of compassion:

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live."

But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise."

The Gospel of Christ unites us and makes unlikely people brothers and sisters. Doctrine shouldn’t divide us, it should unite us.