Though we’re strangers, still I love you / I love you more than your mask / and you know you have to trust this to be true / and I know that’s much to ask / but lay down your fears, com and join this feast / He has called us here, you and me
Communion is a shared celebration. It reminds us that we are all brought together into one body, regardless of our background. Jesus has made peace between the nations! It is a feast that centers on him, and keeps us from focusing on ourselves. Yes, we are led to consider our faithfulness as we take the bread and the wine. But The focus need not be on our failing, but instead can be on Jesus’ provision of Himself.
So may peace rain down from Heaven / like little pieces of the sky / like those little keepers of the promise / falling on these souls this drought has dried / In His Blood and in His Body / In this Bread and in this Wine / Peace to you, Peace of Christ to you
Now, you may be asking yourself. What does communion have to do with my Christian faith? How does it help me in my daily walk? In our church, it is not something that is practiced as frequently as in some other Christian settings. But hopefully that makes our celebrations of communion more special in that they are more poignant reminders, times that stand out as we worship the lamb who was sacrificed for us. But we can remember the things that communion signifies each day. We can be reminded that Jesus’ body was broken for our peace. We can remember that his blood was enough to cover every sin that afflicts us. And we can also remember that God sent his son to save the whole world. To redeem people who hitherto were at odds with each other, people who would not be seen together, people who simply do not like each other. To make a new people united in him.
What would this do to our lives? What words might describe the life that understands the broken body, the spilled blood, the new nation? Love. Patience. Depth. Compassion. Unity. Peace. I love the play on words in this song, between peace and piece. The idea of peace coming down like the rain, drenching us, reminding us in our times of hardness and dryness that God is still there, he still unites us and teaches us how to love. It is a form of beauty, being able to see God’s provision and concern in everything – miraculous to mundane.
And though I love you still we’re strangers / prisoners in these lonely hearts / and though our blindness separates us / still His light shines in the dark / and His outstretched arms / are still strong enough to reach / behind these prison bars to set us free
For the second time in this song we are reminded of our isolation. Often, we can feel like strangers, even in the middle of a crowd. Even as we greet the congregation on Sunday morning our hearts might be distant. It could be the result of pain inflicted by another. Or it could just be dissatisfaction within our own hearts. Or it may be a result of barriers we have built up to protect ourselves from being hurt, or being challenged beyond our comfort level. The song encourages us to set these barriers to the side. Or rather, it pictures God himself reaching through the prison walls, the ones we have built up, to rescue us from ourselves.
Rich Mullins (on the album “A Liturgy, A Legacy and a Ragamuffin Band”) shares in this song a blessing. It is the hope that we would be more than strangers, that through Christ’s love we could recognize each other – see each other face to face. The result would be love! It would be shared meals and intertwined lives. It would be more like life, less like the day-to-day grind we so often experience. It would be harmony and joy. Read these words from the book of Colossians:
Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father.
Colossians 3:12-17Colossians 3:12-17
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
12 . God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. 13 . Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. 14 Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together. 15 Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful. 16 . Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him.
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So we end today with the blessing of the chorus:
So may peace rain down from Heaven / like little pieces of the sky / like those little keepers of the promise / falling on these souls this drought has dried / In His Blood and in His Body / In this Bread and in this Wine / Peace to you, Peace of Christ to you
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