Again, we are continuing from yesterday and looking at evil and forgiveness and the possibility of being a part of new life.
This is a splendid analysis of the mentality of power and greed which makes evil irreversible! Such a mentality lacks the interior strength necessary to assume the suffering of another as its own and thus to change his condition by forgiveness and acceptance. Instead of seeing the sin of another as punishment and suffering, as a motive for compassion, it looks on that evil as a despicable moral blemish which must be eliminated and punished, removed from sight and from experience. Only the admission of defect and fallibility in oneself makes it possible for one to become merciful to others.
Jesus looked at the woman and those who were about to stone her and said something like, "Let the one without sin cast the first stone." As we know, they all drop their stones. Then again, it is not only that we see that we too are sinners/separated/broken. It is also that we are able and willing to assume the suffering of the other...to see their condition and how the separation within their life is, in itself, more that we can heap on them as we point fingers and condemn. At that point, we eliminate the 'us' and 'them' that so often makes for dividing lines that set one side up as righteous and the other as evil or sinful. To be quite honest with you, it would be difficult to attempt to see the hell that is being experienced by those who have acted in ways that break relationships. And yet, it is vital to the healing of both our lives.
Connection: What is the hell the other is going through and how might each of us be a part of the reconciliation of a new day.
Come, Reconciling Lord, and turn around our judgments so that when we are tempted to judge, we judge others as wounded and in need of our attention and a bit of Good News. In that moment, you have a way of healing both sides. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment