Everyone knows the popular story of the conversion of St Augustine of Hippo. As a young man Augustine led a reckless and fun-loving life, like the prodigal son in the parable. He was well known in the brothels of downtown Rome. Then came his conversion and everything changed. The story is told that one day the newly converted Augustine was passing through the part of town in which one of the brothels he used to visit was located and one of his former mistresses spotted him. She came after him calling, “Augustine, Augustine, it’s me!” Augustine took a quick look at his former companion and temptation flooded his soul. Reminding himself of his new status as a Christian, he took to his heels, running and calling back, “It’s not me! It’s not me!” “If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Christians today do not often see themselves as different from the rest of humankind. But not Paul and Augustine. For them there is a radical difference between Christians and the rest of humanity. Paul captures that difference in one word, reconciliation. Christians are reconciled humanity. The importance of reconciliation is based on the belief that we come into this world in a state of estrangement from God. The man or woman who lives purely by natural instincts is a man or woman at odds with God. Reconciliation occurs when we abandon the rule of nature and submit ourselves to the rule of God. Then God gives us a new set of values to live by. More importantly, God transforms our nature such that we become new people able to live the new life in God. Christ is the means through whom we are reconciled to God. “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ” (verse 18).

We often think of reconciliation as God overlooking the sins of our past life and restoring us to God’s favour. This is what happens when we receive the sacrament of reconciliation. But that is only one face of reconciliation. Reconciliation has two faces, a face looking to the past, in which we are forgiven and restored to our status as God’s beloved children, and a face looking to the future in which we are expected to share with others the good news of God’s love. “In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us” (verse 20). In other words, Christians are not just a reconciled people, we are also expected to be a reconciling people.

In our second reading from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, Paul stresses the role of Christians as people who minister reconciliation to others. Paul teaches that God “has given us the ministry of reconciliation” (verse 18). As a result, we have become “ambassadors for Christ” (verse 20), Christ’s spokespersons proclaiming to the ends of the earth Christ’s invitation to all humankind, “Be reconciled to God”(verse 20).

Paul’s letter to the Corinthians was addressed to the whole church in Corinth. So if you think that “ambassadors for Christ” refers only to priests and ordained ministers of the church, you are only half-correct. “Ambassadors for Christ” refers to all believers, ordained and non-ordained, men and women, young people and the young at heart. We are all ambassadors of Christ. We have no choice in the matter, so long as we have been reconciled with God. The only choice we have is what kind of ambassadors we want to be? Good ambassadors or bad ambassadors? Loyal ambassadors or disloyal ambassadors? What kind of Christ’s ambassador are you. Can you name three ways in which you are carrying out your duties as Christ’s ambassador? If you cannot, then today is a good opportunity to get alive with God.