But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2.13)

Can we remember a time we were rejected? The feeling of isolation. Distance, impassible ever-widening distance. Does anyone make it through childhood without feeling the sting of being faraway, out of place, the awkward other. Different people seek out various ways to move toward a place of communal belong. One builds walls around his soul to protect from the stinging arrows, another adopts the slings of others and mocks rather than be mocked. Whether we find a way to be grafted into society or a left on the abandoned fringe we can still feel damaged and alone.

And yet this loneliness, this emotional distance, is nothing compared to our soul’s separation from God. There is no set of actions we can perform to reap redemption, no number of prayers that can bridge the metaphysical expanse between His holiness and our fallenness. We were far off across the impassable ocean of our sin.

And then Jesus. We have been reclaimed by the Creator. We are redeemed, not by the sweat of our brows doing the good deeds, but through the poured out blood of Jesus. Jesus is our retriever. Jesus calls us from isolation into relationship. Jesus has caused the divine spark in our souls to be rekindled. Jesus is bringing about our becoming. We are becoming more of ourselves as we decrease and He increases. The closer we are brought near to Him the more we are shaped into the unique diamonds He foresaw us to be.

Jesus, thank you for drawing me near, for seeing me far off and alone and calling me into your arms.