The Finished Work

Universal Reconciliation as Praxis

כלל

Introduction

This work is addressed to the Christian UR (Universal Reconciliation) community, first and foremost. Beyond that, it is addressed to the humanitarian community—to all who seek to make the world a better place for all.

Much excellent work has been done to support the doctrine of UR from scriptural, historical, linguistic, logical, and ethical standpoints. The present work is intended to explore the extended ramifications of that doctrine. It asks, “Believing these things to be true, what must we do?”

It is sometimes asserted by the opponents of UR that the doctrine naturally leads to evangelical complacency. “If we aren’t to be saving souls from eternal torment, whence would we gain a sense of urgency?” In other words, “Why proselytize?” This work will attempt to demonstrate how UR should lead us naturally, not away from a sense of urgency, but towards a greater urgency than ever before. We will find this newfound urgency to be richer in meaning and depth than any urgency we might have found in saving souls from eternal torment.

To understand this, we must ask ourselves, “What is reconciliation? What is salvation?” “Reconciliation” we will understand to mean “The reconciliation of every person to God.” But God is Love. And Love is inherently social. There is no gospel but a social gospel, and no theology but a liberation theology. We understand God to be an All-Consuming Love for all beings. So, the reconciliation of every person to God is the reconciliation of every person to every person. It is the realization within all beings of an ineffable Love for all beings.

“Love the LORD thy God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength”. Therefore, Love is not a feeling. Love is not a thought. Love is not an action. The Love of which we speak is a way of feeling and thinking and acting and being, all at once. It is everything, or it is nothing. For all beings to be filled and consumed by such a Love for all beings: That is the finished work.

More to come shortly…