“There are no individuals if by that we mean isolated individuals, completely detached from each other.  What does exist however, is persons, people who realize their humanity in the encounter with others.  Humanness is always fellow-humanness.”1-Hendrikus Berkhof This is the last post in my three part series.  Part one can be found here: https://conciliarpost.com/christian-traditions/reformed/finding-your-self-in-communion-part-one/ Part two can be found here: https://conciliarpost.com/uncategorized/finding-your-self-in-communion-part-2/ This has been a series where I have sought to wrestle with the implications

“We live in an age of individualism.  In our so-called civilization, everyone thinks only of himself; this attitude is not limited to the ‘secular’ world, but is also present among Christians.  Individualism has crept in and each one of us tries to be reconciled to God by himself, on his own.  He forgets his brother or looks at him as an object of his criticism and blame and forgets that the meaning of the spiritual

The coming of Christ, the Reformed understand, is one part in the eternal plan of God to reconcile his chosen people to himself. The Incarnation, rather than being a stand-alone celebration, proceeds from an eternal will that precedes it, and results in a death that reconciles.