2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Author: Brittany Fiscus-van Rossum
Reflection: v. 20, ‘So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us’
Lately I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be the church. As a humble little church that has always rented and borrowed space, I believe Mercy has a unique perspective. We are never able to confuse our ‘church’ with our building—we don’t have one! Because we gather throughout the week prioritizing the sharing of resources alongside practices like praying, singing, and preaching, we are also less tempted to conflate ‘church’ with our ‘Sunday worship service’ alone. Our church is all the ways we show up for one another, and particularly the most vulnerable among us, day in and day out. Our church practices are sharing, eating, fellowshipping, lamenting, listening, and yes, worshipping too. As I read Paul’s reminder of our vocation to be ambassadors for Christ, I recalled a recent conversation with one of our community members. He described why it was important to him to give back to his community at Mercy. He saw his Christian ambassadorship as all the ways he was present to his fellow community members—in the ways he shared wisdom, in the ways he showed kindness, in the ways he was present to others who were struggling, but also in simple ways like how he helped make and serve coffee. We are called to live a life through which God makes God’s appeal through our actions. As Christians, we worship Christ, yes, but we also follow his ways. We also live a life wherein Christ’s appeal shines through the ways we treat one another. As I continue to contemplate what it means to be church, I pray that this church might be a place full of such ambassadors.
Prayer Speak through our actions and witness, O Lord. Help us to be your ambassadors, your church.