United in our Common Family

Beloved in Christ,

Sitting at Colossians 1,21, where we read about our former alienation from God, I recall earlier days. It was some 23 years ago, in the midst of the severe winter. The snow storm paralyzed the traffic. Freezing wind penetrating my skinny frame from behind my collar down to the bottom of my back was effective in blowing away any reminder of my warmth. As a young evangelist, I just helped some people get home after the meeting. Eventually, with everybody gone, I stayed behind — alone. To get to my bed I had to cross some eight miles on foot first. With my face down, to protect my eyes from the wind, I started to head home. But all of a sudden I was brutally stopped by the telephone booth standing like a sharpen rock right on my way. Severe pain squeezed my tears. I really felt alienated. Far from home. Far from friends. Indeed, "the rain wets poor man's bottom even while he's sitting." The wind did not stop just as it happened at the sea of Galilee. And Holy Spirit did not transfer me home as He did in the case of Philip. I had to cover my eight miles and learn how does it feel when a freezing wind gets familiar with one’s empty stomach.

However, alienated as I felt, I was not away from God.

Thank you, Jesus, for doing away with what was once my major problem - alienation from You.

Yours, united in our common family -

Piotr