Spirituality is...A Do-Over

"With God, every moment is the moment of beginning again."
Catherine Doherty

     One of the most awesome and powerful elements of childhood is the "Do-Over".  You remember the "Do-Over" don't you?  It usually happened when someone new was playing a game and violated a rule without knowing it, or there was so much confusion or contesting about a play in a game that the simplest, best method for solving the crisis was simply to pretend the event never happened and start again.  Do-Over's are metaphysical miracles. They are part time-travel (going back as if something never happened), part opportunity (a baseball strike before a do-over could become a hit the second time around), and all grace.

     As we grow up, we seem to use Do-Overs less and less, and we seem to need them more and more. A chance to go back, a chance to re-do, and a chance to change the outcome of our actions or in-actions would change the game of our lives and the world entire. 

     In the bible, there is a story of a woman accused of adultery.  The bible describes the scene this way:

“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.  Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”   John 8:3-11

We may be tempted to think of that scenario as her "Do-Over".  But we would be wrong.  It isn't a Do-Over for her --- no one who gets that close to death can pretend it didn't happen.  It's a Do-Over for the crowd - for us.  They have judged, accused and sentenced her - they have treated her badly, and looked upon her with neither mercy, nor wisdom. Jesus stops this event before it gets any worse, and by pointing out their own sin gives them a chance to walk away, think about it, and hopefully do better the next time around.

Spirituality - the ability to look internally and give mercy externally is a constant invitation to Do-Over. It is the comfort that reminds us it is never too late to begin again.

Imagine Jesus, compassionate and protective, standing with the woman caught in the act of adultery, challenging the crowd to examine their souls. It is a moment of tense silence as the stones in their hands grow heavy with the weight of their own sins. What if, suddenly, one person unable to see his sin (or unwilling to admit it) throws a rock at the woman? It strikes her, and bounces to the ground. What would happen? You know. So do I. She would die under a barrage of stones as the flood gates of self righteousness open.

But what then? How could there possibly be a Do-Over then?  The answer lies with the stones.

What would happen to the stones? Would they lay on the ground jagged and stained? Would someone collect them and show them in a museum? Would someone in her family retrieve them, sharpen them and throw them back at members of the crowd? And perhaps the most intriguing question of all - what would Jesus, the Savior, do with those stones?

I believe Jesus would pick up the stones one by one and with his tears and his own garment clean the blood from their surface and use them to build a bridge or a well or a church. I believe Jesus would reclaim those stones in the name of the Holy God who made them and use them for hope's purpose. I believe Jesus would make a lesson and a life change of those stones.  I believe he would make those stones a monument to the power of beginning again.

We live in a world where sinners throw stones every day. We hurl insults, divide with prejudice, and judge one another without hardly any thought to the stones we are throwing or the sin we deny. Jesus is pretty clear. If you have sin in your life, then you must seek forgiveness, reconcile with God and change your ways. And until you do that wonder of wonders -- leave the stones on the ground.  Only a person without sin may throw a stone (and, really, why would that person want to?).

Jesus is still in front of us - writing in the sand, reminding us to search our hearts, to build some bridges, and to never forget the power of the Do-Over.

Is Jesus Political?

A Meditation for Christ the King Sunday

Lectionary Reading: Colossians 1:15-20

I am one of those people who doesn’t like to talk about politics with strangers, and usually only discuss my ideas with friends and people I respect. If someone who doesn’t know me very well asks for my opinion I’m likely to say, “Oh, I’m not political”. The problem is not that I don’t have opinions and desires about my government. I would love to have equal rights someday, and I care deeply about the issues of immigration, war, and health care. I try hard not to be part of the problem, but, I’m not really part of the solution either. Hence, I am not political. But as a Christian, I have to ask – is Jesus political?

In the liturgical calendar, today is Christ the King Sunday – a day when we celebrate the Kingship of Christ and a traditional early Christian feast day. The title King is a political position – so there’s a clue to the answer. We also are given the New Testament scripture to the Colossians which clearly shows Christ’s political position.

Verse 16: For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on
earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or
authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

Clearly – Jesus was political. But not the way we see people claiming Christian faith go about politics in our day – with contributions to candidates who espouse their beliefs, pressure on public servants to vote with a particular viewpoint, and a review of a candidate’s religious history. I don’t think Jesus was about the process of politics. When asked, Jesus made a distinction between what was Caesar’s business and what was God’s – and also made it clear that his business was God’s. But he was about the product of politics – justice, mercy, and change. So what does that mean for Christians?

There is an old chemistry joke: “If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the precipitate!” (well, I think it’s funny)

The precipitate, of course, is a solid mass left behind after a chemical reaction has occurred. It’s an indicator that a chemical change has happened and something new has formed. When I look at the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, I see him as the catalyst – the one sent to create change in our world, and Christians as people who were supposed to be the evidence of the change Jesus is making – so – we are the precipitate.

Christ as King of Justice

One of the roles of any king was be the head judge (and in smaller kingdoms the only judge) of disputes and decision making. The king decided ownership, punishments, and made the laws. A good king made laws for the sake of justice. Christ the King sought justice through many ways. He called upon the temple leaders to create spiritual justice and get rid of cruel temple exclusions and pharisaic law (that got him killed). He called on disciples to create social justice – caring for the widows, the poor and oppressed. He called on individuals to act justly with one another.

As followers of Jesus the Christ (another political title), we too should strive for just actions with one another, and for social justice in the world around us. We should follow the advice of James – “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” Imagine if that word “religion” was replaced by the word “politics” – how different would our world be? Would we be at war? Would 1/3 of the homeless be children? Would scandal be the hallmark of our political leaders?

Christ as King of Mercy

There’s an ironic twist to understanding our beloved Jesus as a champion of justice. What he did on the cross was the antithesis of justice. He became grace, and grace is about as far from justice as one can get. The dictionary defines justice as “… the impartial assignment of merited rewards or punishments.” In other words, justice means you get what you deserve. And according to Romans, what we deserve for sin – the willful disobedience of God’s law – is death. But Christ brings grace into the arena – dying in our place so that we can experience salvation, relationship with God, and hope eternal. Because of Jesus we don’t get what we deserve – we get what God desires. God desires relationship with us and love.

As followers of the Redeemer, we too should take mercy into our lives and world. Imagine the immigration debate if it were framed in terms of mercy as opposed to economics, job quotas and punishment. Imagine our health care system if it were designed around mercy for the sick as opposed to how much insurance one carries.

Christ’s grace really isn’t so opposite from justice as it seems. Justice and mercy are the two sides of a coin. They are symbiotic. Thomas Aquinas said, “Mercy without justice is the mother of dissolution; justice without mercy is cruelty.”

Christ as King of Change

If there is anything distinguishing about the rabbi from Nazareth, it is his capacity to create change. Every life Jesus encountered he changed in some way. For the corrupt temple leaders, his presence made them insecure, defensive and scheming. For the pagan Roman soldiers his message opened them to the possibility of the One God, creator of all. For the common people, Jews and Gentiles alike, his healing gave them sight, mobility, hearing and spiritual freedom from demons and prejudice. We are all born again in his presence. We are all the precipitate – the evidence of his change.

Is Jesus political? You bet. Not in a “mark you ballot and lobby your cause” kind of way – but in a more profound and personal way. As election season begins to run in its fullness, I fear we will all have more politics thrust upon us than we may desire. But as we make our decisions, donations and demands of our government – let us first follow Christ into bringing the products of good politics into our midst. Justice, mercy and change are the fruits of Christ’s labor and should be our priority as well.

As for the rest – let us remember the wise words of Paul to the Colossians – “He is before all things and in him all things hold together.” In other words – it’s all about Him. Not us. Not Democrats, Republicans, Liberals or the Conservative Right. It’s about Him. Let us pause to honor and live to exclaim – Christ the King.