Breaking Down Dividing Walls: Embracing Unity in Christ

A Reflection for Friday, March 6 by Cindy Riley

Lectionary reading for 03/6/2023: Psalm 95; Exodus 16:9-21; Ephesians 2:11-22

Selected passage for reflection: Ephesians 2:11-22 

Read

Ephesians 2:11-22, New Living Translation

¹¹ Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. ¹² In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. ¹³ But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

¹⁴ For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. ¹⁵ He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. ¹⁶ Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. ¹⁷ He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. ¹⁸ Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

¹⁹ So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. ²⁰ Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. ²¹ We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. ²² Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.

Reflection

Paul begins today’s passage with the imperative “Don’t forget,” or, put another way, remember where you used to be and who you are now. In this time of polarized thinking, we all find ourselves on one side or another of various issues. The systems of the world create points of division across lines of race, gender, sexuality, economic status, and the list goes on. This polarized thinking has created barriers within communities, families, relationships, and—yes—the church.

Paul refers to the dividing wall in the temple courts that served as a barricade to keep Gentiles from getting any closer to the Holy of Holies, where God's presence resided. The Gentiles who sought to worship God and be part of His people were relegated to the outside, looking in, because of this wall.

I wonder what dividing walls we have erected that keep those who are seeking God on the outside, looking in. Where are we, as the body of Christ, building walls between ourselves that keep others from wanting to be part of this “new” way of life Jesus ushered in?\\\\\\

We are often blind to these walls because we believe we have erected them in defense of the gospel or to protect the faith. But the gospel does not need defending. The gospel is Good News. And yet, I fear we have turned it into bad news through our own walls of hostility.

Take some time to ask God where you might be more committed to an issue, a conviction, or a particular way of understanding—and therefore building walls. Maybe you have a difference of opinion with someone, so you avoid eye contact for fear of where the conversation might go. Perhaps you avoid connecting with certain family members because they take the opposite side on an issue. Or maybe you avoid interacting with a certain person or group of people because you don’t understand how they can be the way they are, or why they don’t see Scripture and God’s ways the same as you do. These are all building blocks for walls of hostility.

Jesus tore down these walls through his death, burial, and resurrection.

Respond

This Lenten season, allow God to disrupt your comfortable spaces and reveal where you have built walls. What bricks of gender, race, class, or difference of understanding have you used?

Let go of the security these bricks provide and humbly:

• Repent of your part in building walls;

• Receive God’s forgiveness;

• Risk reaching across differences and spending time with those not so like you;

• Restore unity, one step at a time, with the help of the Holy Spirit;

• Remember who you are and whose you are as we sojourn together.

And be patient and kind with yourself. These walls were not built in a day.

Rest

Holy Spirit,

I trust in your healing work that tears down the walls of hostility in our lives.

Please give me eyes to see what you see as barriers to the Good News,

and fill me with courage to make a change.

Amen

About the Author

Cindy lives in Swannanoa, NC, with her husband, Dennis. Following Hurricane Helene, she launched Essence Centered Care & Leadership, offering spiritual care, staff well-being, and leadership support to organizations serving the community. She and Dennis share four daughters and six grandchildren. Cindy enjoys hiking North Carolina trails, traveling, reading, writing, crocheting, and a good cup of tea.