Restoration

I've been reading for Disciple this week. The theme for the week is Atonement, and much of the reading involves the idea and process of priestly sacrifices. Offerings.

The notes in my Bible talk about the purpose for the offerings -- how confession allows for the acceptance of responsibility, that the process creates restitution instead of retribution, returning people to relationships with each other, and how people's relationship with God is restored.

I've been thinking about the idea of restoration of relationships in the past few days. Have you ever been in a situation in which words or actions have created a break in a relationship? What did you do? I don't imagine there are many disagreements where both parties can't accept some blame. Do you wait for the other person to apologize first? Do you step forward, accepting responsibility, because the idea of restoration is more important than fairness?

What would Christ do? What would God lead us to do? Jesus accepted blame and sin so that our relationship with God would be restored. We don't have to guess how he would react; we already know.