It’s a lot to take in.
News, social media. Stuff.
At the end of II Corinthians, Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth, he closes with a few simple but powerful words. Words that I need to hear.
“Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace.”
II Corinthians 13:11
Aim for restoration. The Greek word for restoration is
καταρτίζω
*mend what is broken
*repair
*equip
*strengthen, complete, perfect
So many things feel broken these days.
So how do we aim for restoration? It’s a big goal. A worthy one, though.
In my word-nerding, I noticed that definitions for both “agree” and “live in peace” include Harmony/Harmonious.
I’m a word nerd, but I’m an even bigger music nerd.
Harmony: (According to Webster)
*the combination of simultaneous musical notes
*a pleasing arrangement of parts
*an interweaving of different accounts into a single narrative
It’s kind of important to note that Paul’s words do not mean “unison.”
(All identical, all on the same note.)
There’s no way everyone can have the very same, identical opinions.
That is glaringly obvious these days.
But.
But maybe we can harmonize.
Maybe we can comfort each other, have patience with each other…
Listen…
Maybe we can aim for restoration, and begin to mend what is broken.
One step at a time.
One story at a time.
An interweaving.
Harmony.