There are ways to imitate the 'perfect gratuity of the heavenly Father' when we are trying to avoid scandal This becomes particularly clear in Matthew 7. There we have the commandment not to judge, and it is explained that the reason for this is that all our judgment is scandalous, because we have already tripped over the log in our own eye. This is a rigorous revelation of the way we are tied into each other by the skandalon, and the way we must detach ourselves from it (one so important that it is taken up by Paul in Romans 2:1). Our knowledge of each other is projective and in its mode already distorted. Only in the degree to which we allow our own distortion to be corrected will we be able to know the other with limpidity. Though this is a good place to pause in the reflection, it is also because I had to look up limpidity (clearness) before I could carry on. That wild pointing finger is amazing. Whenever I hear about it I feel a sense of shame - because I know that I can be a master at pointing and judging. At the same time, it is a great unifier. We are all in the same boat. We point fingers and judge and demand that the 'other' will get it right (right as we would want it). How do we see the other when we do not add our filters and our biases? Obviously we do not see clearly. The vision of the Reign of God is meant to give us clear vision so that we can see the other as the Beloved of God. And yet, we too often switch to another lens and that is not what we see. We like to see the Beloved only in the mirror. But there - beyond us - uncluttered by our baggage is the Beloved 'other'. If only we were able to have such vision. Connection: We are able to have such vision. It is prayerful vision. It is taking the world by the hands and calling forth the healing of all things. It is then that we are able to step out of the cycle of scandal that never allows the life of God's promise to unfold among us. Now, prayer is not simply words. Prayer is the life of the words flowing into our very being - becoming us. That - takes work, and more prayer. O God of life, it is not easy to move these logs that clutter our vision. When we are lazy, be for us the strength to strive for clarity and healing. Amen. |
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