I just noticed on my calendar that we have a family reunion
coming up very soon. It will be the first one we will be able to attend in
about 10 years, so I'm looking forward to being reunited with many of my (extended)
family. Yes, we exchange the occasional email and share pictures and family
events on Facebook, but there is nothing that is better than being face to face
with folks.
That's not something new! We still have around us something
which has picked up the name "Snail Mail" or actually writing a
letter with pen and paper and mailing it to someone. But again that's not the way
that touches us in our hearts the most. The apostle John wrote about doing
this. In 2
John_1:12 he wrote: "I have much to write to you, but I do
not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you
face to face, so that our joy may be complete.
I believe that contained within
those sentences is the key to what reunions give us. John wrote: "I
hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be
complete". Our joy is made complete, we share our love of one
another and our spirits are renewed and refreshed, in the presence of those we
love, our joy is made complete.
We have many family members in our
lives who are not blood relatives, but who are made brothers and sisters
through the blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Many of those we have not seen
for many years and may never see in this life, but they are no less missed and
loved.
Of course there is the great
reunion yet to come for Christ and His children. Several hymns come to mind
with phrases such as: "Face to face with Christ my Savior,"
or "What a happy day it will be when my Savior's face I see."
I'm sure you could list many, many more, but these express the basis of our
faith don’t they? It's all about reunions. Reunions with loved ones, reunions
with other Saints we have never met, and the great reunion with our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ and His Father.
I don't know about you, but I'm
looking forward to that reunion. 1
Thessalonians 4:13f gives us some insight into the reunion with those who
have gone on before us. But we will only attend the reunion if we first accept
the invitation to come. Jesus said in
Revelation 22:17, "The Spirit and the bride say,
"Come!" And let the one who hears say, "Come!" Let the one
who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life." And in verse
14 Jesus said, "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that
they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into
the city."
Do you want to attend the reunion?
It's all about being a blood relative in Christ. Another old hymn reminds us,
"There is power in the blood," and asks, have you been cleansed by
the life giving blood, washed and made part of a new eternal family? I'm
planning on going to my family reunion, the one at the local pizza parlor and
the one in heaven that provides for all of my needs for eternity. What about
you?
