Paul's encounter with the risen Christ had completely transformed him - he testified this by his words ‘So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation!' (v17). And that is what our relationship with the Lord is supposed to do for us - in a genuine relationship. Paul did not regard others by human standards any longer but saw only the presence of Christ in every person. He calls us to be ambassadors of Christ. An ambassador puts aside his or her own opinions and ideas and represents only the one who sent them. Do we truly reveal Christ to others or do we reveal our own opinions and prejudices? Take heed, reconciling the world is the mission of Jesus of which we are part.

For others to see the presence of God, we are to concretise Jesus' teaching - "let your word be simply ‘yes' or ‘no'" (v37). That is, we should strive to be so reliable that we are trusted by others, just as we trust God. A good portion of that proclamation consists in a firm commitment to speaking the truth and not in negative or destructive ways. The decay of language and speech is one of the telltale signs of a civilization gone wrong. We cannot hide reality behind smooth or deceiving words. Let our integrity be so firm and well- recognized that a simple ‘yes' or ‘no' from us is all that is needed. Monitoring one's speech is a difficult but rewarding spiritual practice.