Friday of the First Week of Lent
The imagery of Lent is often desert imagery. It reminds me of where I grew up in Colorado Colorado, and it reminds me of a particular time when I was in the desert with my youth group (because in Colorado you do that kind of thing), and we were trying out rock climbing, or actually, rock rappelling. Rappelling is all about stepping backward off a pile of rock into thin air to get down off a mountainside. It looked fun when my friends did , but when the actual time came for my turn, I froze. I absolutely did not want to step backward off a mountain.
A friend of mine came to the rescue, talked me into it by telling me I was a strong person and I could do this. It was just my fear getting in the way of my own best self.
Today's Gospel (Matthew 5:20-26) reminds me of that experience. Jesus is the friend in that passage, telling the disciples and any others who care to hear, that they can be far better than they think they can. Not only can they NOT commit murder - they can go several better, and practice not being angry. Not only can they practice NOT being angry - they can even seek forgiveness from each other!
It's a lofty goal - but it's the goal that Jesus asks us to do in his name. Forgiveness is especially a counter-cultural practice. We don't live in a very forgiving society - we're not a place of second and third chances, but more likely of being fired if we make mistakes. But Jesus asks us to live differently and to see differently - and he suggests that we can, in fact do and be more than we think we can.
I think he's right - even though it's difficult, it's possible to live forgiveness. It's possible to offer mercy even though people might think I'm crazy. It's possible to see people in their best light, to love them, to see the goodness and beauty of the world. It's hard, I admit. But I've tried it. It doesn't always end up well; sometimes second chances end up backfiring. But on the other hand, sometimes giving other people mercy is amazing. And when it happens to me - when I have a second chance, well - that's even more amazing.
To get back to my desert analogy - I tried rappelling - and in mid-flight, halfway down the mountain, I discovered that rappelling was actually a lot of fun. I had an opportunity to hang out, to enjoy the amazing blue sky, and to revel in the beauty that surrounded me.
Today, let us revel in the beauty of other people - even when they fail us. Let us remember that we, too, fail - but because of Jesus, let us give each other our mercy and forgiveness.
- Jana M. Bennett