1. Reconciliation may be a great idea, but how do you reconcile with someone who has bitterly hurt you and refuses to even acknowledge that he or she has done wrong? Isn't forgiveness a two-way street? Forgiving those who hurt us is our business.
If we make forgiveness contingent upon someone else's admission of guilt then we are simply demanding justice and insisting on our "rights." Remember, Jesus forgave his murderers even as they ridiculed him while he hung on the cross. His forgiveness was a free gift given without strings attached. We can't follow him unless we do the same.
Although, there are times when a breach exists between two people that can't be healed unless both truly want it healed. Even then, someone or something has to offer the means of bringing them back together. That's what God's does. Reconciliation is the work of God. Seeking reconciliation is our work. (Matthew 18:21-22) We need to do whatever we can to make peace with others, and then leave the results up to God.
2. If justice is one of the things that God calls us to (Micah 6:8), why shouldn't I expect it when it comes to my own needs? You should! It's perfectly reasonable to expect to be treated fairly and honestly in our dealings and relationships with others, and we are expected to treat others the same way. But in reality, you and I and every other human being are also sinners.
Although, there are times when a breach exists between two people that can't be healed unless both truly want it healed. Even then, someone or something has to offer the means of bringing them back together. That's what God's does. Reconciliation is the work of God. Seeking reconciliation is our work. (Matthew 18:21-22) We need to do whatever we can to make peace with others, and then leave the results up to God.
2. If justice is one of the things that God calls us to (Micah 6:8), why shouldn't I expect it when it comes to my own needs? You should! It's perfectly reasonable to expect to be treated fairly and honestly in our dealings and relationships with others, and we are expected to treat others the same way. But in reality, you and I and every other human being are also sinners.
This means that at some point in our lives we are going to treat others unjustly and we are going to be treated unjustly. These sins can lead to relationships that are made up of a web of angry claims and counter-claims against each other, some of them just, and many irresolvable. The only way to break out of this entanglement is to forgive. Forgiveness is an intentional act that leads to freedom and creates new possibilities. Not only does it free us from the burden of our own pettiness and selfishness, it also allows others to forgive and to find freedom. Handing our claims over to God unburdens us of a huge weight which will cripple us if we carry it for too long, no matter how legitimate our complaints are. Interestingly, we work most effectively for justice on behalf of others and when it comes to our personal situations, the "self" gets in the way and our judgment gets cloudy.
The very real paradox of God's plan for each of us is that we can only achieve justice when we practice mercy. This is because mercy changes both - the giver and the receiver, and softens even the most hardened heart. Mercy encourages a change of the heart which leads to love (1 Cor. 13) and love leads to acts of justice which leads to peace. So if you want justice for yourself or for others - forgive. Put mercy first. Justice will follow.
3. Why do I need to hold myself accountable to prepare for Easter? If Easter is the season of new life then where is the joy spending Lent as my own accuser? We owe ourselves the same mercy that we owe others. Berating and crucifying ourselves is not the point of Lent. Purifying our hearts is the point. Lent is the time when we can put aside the world’s teachings and learn the language of repentance and forgiveness. We do this by disciplining our mind, our spirit, our appetites and our desires, so that nothing gets in our way to prevent us from hearing God's voice and seeking him out.
3. Why do I need to hold myself accountable to prepare for Easter? If Easter is the season of new life then where is the joy spending Lent as my own accuser? We owe ourselves the same mercy that we owe others. Berating and crucifying ourselves is not the point of Lent. Purifying our hearts is the point. Lent is the time when we can put aside the world’s teachings and learn the language of repentance and forgiveness. We do this by disciplining our mind, our spirit, our appetites and our desires, so that nothing gets in our way to prevent us from hearing God's voice and seeking him out.
The joy in Lent comes from the confidence we each have in the resurrection of a Savior who delivers us from our sin and restores us to new life. Of course we must understand our own sinfulness and the urgency of repentance and reconciliation or the Cross makes no sense; the Resurrection makes no sense. The joy of Easter is the joy of deliverance from sin and the promise of rebirth. If we don't believe in our very being that we really do desperately need these things, Easter is just another excuse for a holiday sale and another opportunity for over-indulgences! If we are honest in the silence of our own hearts, we know that we were created for more than our own selfishness and mistakes. We were made for glory! But we are empty of that glory until God's presence fills us. Lent is an opportunity, a means of grace, not a burden. My prayer for each of us is that we may use the weeks of Lent this year to cleanse and prepare our hearts to receive Jesus Christ this Easter, and that in so doing we may share in his life together throughout this year.
In Christ,
Rev. Pat
*Based on an article written by
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, Archbishop of Philadelphia
