Building bridges not walls

Sometimes our reflection on life can hold God at arm’s length. We try to relate to God as other and more than ourselves. This can objectivize our relationship with God into the third person. I am me and God is God. However, this way of relating to God puts a distance between us which cannot be easily bridged. This weekend’s Gospel of the Forgiving Father displays the closeness of God to each one of us. The younger son takes the gift of God’s grace as his own possession while the elder son takes the gift of God’s grace as a reward for his work. Both fall short of what is on offer which is the free and unconditional love of God which sees all as beloved.

The central part of the Gospel is how we seek to enter into discussions which build bridges and not walls between each other. It is easy to recognize difference but it takes a forgiving heart to be present to a person as they are and not how we perceive them to be. God seeks to move our conversations beyond ourselves into actions which reconcile, heal and strengthen our relationship with God and each other. It is never just about ourselves but how our relationships display God’s love and mercy. How does my life centre on God’s offer to bridge the gap and how do I seek to bridge the gap with others?