The importance of the Ascension cannot be understated. This is not just a long goodbye that occurs 40 days after the resurrection but rather the commissioning of the disciples to live in a life-giving relationship with God. This witness to the truth that our faith, through a living encounter with the person of Jesus Christ, is not a private possession solely for our own good. The living of a life which reconciles us to God and each other.
In a world that seems to be beset by divisions, we need to live in a way that seeks communion. This is not just looking to see what is solely for our own benefit but how we can see the needs of the whole of creation. This is to live in a way that sustains our common home but also seeks to reconcile the divisions which threaten to destroy it. This is not just in reference to armed conflict but rather the hidden violence which seeks to promote self-interest over the common good. It calls for people to seek ways in which life can be sustained at all its stages and how creation can be cared for through careful stewardship.
This calls for a witness which sees our prayer transforming how we live. It seeks a way in which we can be thoughtful and consider what we focus on and how we act. We seek to proclaim the kingdom of God not just in how we gather for prayer but in how we live. If we are to be Christians for the 21st Century we need to be people who proclaim the truth of how God guides our actions. We witness by who we are and whose we are. This guides our mission to bear witness to the person of Jesus Christ who seeks to heal, reconcile and nourish our lives.
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