Revelation 21.1-5

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

‘See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’

And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’

When we turn away from God, we divide against each other. It happened from the very beginning – Adam, divided from Eve, divided from God. Cain and Abel, the Israelites in the wilderness, the north from the south, divided by exile, divided by tribe and nation.

And today our world seems more divided now than ever. Ukraine invaded, conflict in Niger, Sudan, Yemen, the Holy Land … And what about our own nation and communities? Or our churches? How united are we?

This is the world Christ chose to make his home – a baby, crying out in the night. Emmanuel – God With Us. And have we received him? Have we been reconciled?

And are we ready for God to make his home among us always – to unite us and restore us? That’s the question this Christ-child is still asking.

If you are ready to be reconciled with God? With your neighbour? What “a new heaven and a new earth” looks like?