At the Table | Bridging the Divide

14 Christ is our peace. He made both Jews and Gentiles into one group. With his body, he broke down the barrier of hatred that divided us. 15 He canceled the detailed rules of the Law so that he could create one new person out of the two groups, making peace. 16 He reconciled them both as one body to God by the cross, which ended the hostility to God.

Ephesians 2:14-16 (CEB)

The greatest divide in human history wasn't between political parties, economic classes, or fans of different sports team. It was between humanity and God. Our sin had created a chasm so wide, so deep, that we could never cross it on our own.

But Jesus didn't just talk about bridging divides, he became the bridge. When he became human, he didn't choose sides in the cosmic conflict between divine justice and human need. Instead, he became one of us to understand us completely, and he remained fully God to represent us perfectly.

So Jesus literally walked in our shoes. He experienced our struggles, felt our pain, faced our temptations. He knew what it was like to be tired, hungry, misunderstood, and rejected. He understood us not just intellectually, but experientially. And because he understood us, he could help us.

This is the pattern Jesus gives us for dealing with division. If we want to overcome the things that separate us from others, we need to do what Jesus did. We need to empathize. We need to walk in their shoes. We need to listen to their stories. We need to understand their perspective.

Empathy doesn't mean agreeing with everyone about everything. Jesus didn't approve of all our choices when he became one of us. But he chose to understand us before he tried to change us. He chose to love us before he tried to correct us. He chose to identify with us before he asked us to identify with him.

There is no unity without empathy. We can't bridge divides with people we refuse to understand. We can't love people whose experiences we dismiss or ignore. We can't be one body if we don't care about the pain other parts of the body are feeling.

Personal Application: Think of someone you disagree with or find difficult. How might you "walk in their shoes" this week? What would it look like to listen to their story with genuine empathy, even if you don't agree with their conclusions?

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for becoming one of us to bridge the divide between us and God. Help us follow your example by seeking to understand others before asking to be understood. Give us hearts of empathy for people who are different from us. Help us bridge divides by listening, caring, and walking in others' shoes. Amen.