Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Colossians 3:13

You have a place of belonging and becoming in a Christian community. This is because the atonement removed the dividing line that separated us from God and one another. We are being reconciled not just to God, but also to our brothers and sisters in Christ. However, if we do not take what the Cross has done for us seriously, we will not act in faith or walk in love.

The Apostle Paul encourages us to bear with each other and to forgive as Jesus forgave. This is because the gospel defines and sustains us in the way we do relationships and respond to others. The desire to love and forgive comes out of being continually transformed by the renewing of our minds into the image and righteousness of Christ.

God’s full embrace of us gives us the grace to love others as they feel most loved. When we make reconciliation and forgiveness normative expressions of church life, we all get a foretaste of God's kingdom and His world to come.

We must rediscover the art of healthy conversation to build a healthy Christian community. Unspoken pain and unhealed grievances threaten our unity and mission. This is why taking personal offence is the most common reason for people leaving a church. It also explains why many church communities are unhealthy and hurting.

Learning to be open about our woundedness brings wholeness, not only to ourselves but also to others. Practicing the life Jesus purchased for us is both life-giving and empowering because we will experience healing, freedom and love in many incredible ways.