Saint John Paul II, Pope (Optional Memorial)

. . . a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. 

Scripture often reminds us that we are the “dwelling place of God” (Ephesians 2:22). We may think of this exclusively in terms of the Spirit living in each individual believer. But in this passage from Ephesians, Paul is not talking about individuals. Writing to Gentiles, formerly “alienated from the community of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise” (2:12), he declares that Jews and Gentiles have become “one new person” in Christ (2:15). Together they make up “the household of God” (2:19).

Together. That’s because even though the Spirit lives in each of us, none of us can “contain” God. He is too big. And while each of us has a unique perspective on who God is, our understanding is still incomplete and even flawed because of our human limitations and our sin. It’s only alongside other believers, as we are built together in Christ, that we can begin to experience God’s fullness. We simply need one another.

God wants to make us into a family where he can be at home, a place where the love between us is so tangible that it makes people long to discover him by joining us. This “kingdom construction project” is more than God simply stacking us like individual stones next to each other. He is building an entirely new dwelling place, animated by love.

This means that, as God’s family, we don’t grit our teeth and tolerate each other. No, we break down every “dividing wall” between us and become one as Jesus and his Father are one (Ephesians 2:14).

To this end, like the Gentiles and Jews, the Lord asks us to set aside our indifference and prejudices so that we can treasure each other. He asks us to put others above ourselves. Together we have the opportunity to express his overwhelming and many-faceted love to the world far more powerfully than we could ever do alone!

“Holy Spirit, help all believers—including me—set aside everything that separates us so that you can build us together into a dwelling place for your holy love.”

Ephesians 2:12-22
Psalm 85:9-14
Luke 12:35-38