Christ's incredible gift of reconciliation with God--the restoration of the human race by Christ

Reflection on today's Scripture, Nehemiah 2: 1-8--Artaxerxes, the Persian king, is concerned that Nehemiah, a trusted valet of his court, appears sad. He inquires about his grief.  Nehemiah, fearful of the king, finds courage, however,  to respond honestly to him--a courage given him by his God, the God of his ancestors. Saddened by the destruction of Jerusalem, the center of worship for the Jewish people, a sacred place, a place of honor, Nehemiah asked the king to be allowed to return to the land of Judah to rebuild the Temple. His wish is granted.  The destruction and rebuilding of Jerusalem is symbolic of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, who was sent into the world by the Father to rebuild and transform humankind and all of creation subject to corruption by disobedience, first of all, the disobedience of Adam and Eve and, second of all, subsequently by all of us.  Our "temples" are rebuilt by Jesus. The holiness of humanity--humankind living in harmony with its Creator before the fall of Adam and Eve--is restored by Christ's death and resurrection, which each of us enters into in our baptism, dying and rising with Christ in this sacrament.  Christ is always at work in us and in the world reconciling us and all of creation to His Father and ours. Sin, death, and hell will not prevail against the Church. God will triumph in all of our lives. This is my belief. This is my hope. What is yours?