God said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at her heel.”
Genesis 3:14
After the Fall, God points to the coming of a Savior, who will one day save humanity from the sin that alienates us from God, from ourselves and from one another. This verse or oracle is known as the first gospel or protoevangelium. It is the Good News that God will not leave us in sin and alienation but deliver us from it.
Two thousand years ago, God sent his Son into the world. He is the offspring of the woman. And by going to the cross, he strikes at the head of sin and evil and death. He destroys them so we do not have to live in this alienation from God, ourselves and each another.
Connecting with neighbors is about living out the promise of the Gospel. It is about the restoration of our world and building the kingdom of God. As we connect with our neighbor, we are obeying God and putting ourselves back in right relationship with him. As we connect with our neighbors, we are overcoming our own fears and moving towards the people God wants us to be. Connecting with our neighbors is about taking responsibility for the state of our world and working to make it a better world.
Pray today that God will use you to bring the Good News of God’s love to your neighbors.