2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 (NRSV)
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Verse 20So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. Verse 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Chapter 6As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. Verse 2For he says, "At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you." See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! Verse 3We are putting no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, Verse 4but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, Verse 5beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; Verse 6by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, Verse 7truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; Verse 8in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; Verse 9as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see-we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; Verse 10as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
Devotion
How shocking to imagine that God makes appeals through us ordinary men and women. Are we really speaking and acting as God's ambassadors wherever we are in the world? This is exactly what St. Paul claims about himself and about us as well. Paul insists that, no matter what happens to us, we show the world something of God's love by reaching out as God has done--in holiness of spirit and genuine love. Can you picture this? What if Christians proclaimed their God by engaging the world as God did in Christ and does in the Holy Spirit?
Prayer
Loving God, loving us humans has been hard. It cost you your beloved son. But you have never given up on us, never abandoned us. Open our eyes and hearts to be ambassadors for you by loving our fellow creatures with the holy generosity and perseverance you provide. Amen.