Today’s readings: Click on today’s date at http://www.usccb.org/bible/
Not just Amish grace
Tuesday March 11, 2014
Tuesday of the First Week of Lent
Matthew 6:12-14
Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us … if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, neither will your Father forgive your sins.”
Mary Beth and Katie’s dad Gideon said to Katie, “Hate is a very big, very hungry thing with lots of sharp teeth that will eat up your whole heart and leave no room left for love.”
Charlie, a man their family knew well, who picked up their cows’ milk every day, had just killed Mary Beth and four other Amish girls while they were in school. All of them were struggling to stay afloat in their faith. But they were drowning.
Not drowning so much because of anger or grief or even fear. They were drowning because of hate. Hate didn’t quench any thirst or satisfy any need, but it seemed like all there was to do. And hate was killing them.
Later Gideon reminded his wife, and himself, “Faith, when everything is as you want it to be, is not true faith. It’s only when our lives are falling apart that we have a chance to make our faith real.”
For the Amish leaders their chance to make their faith real was to go in the face of TV cameras and onlookers’ disbelief to the murderer’s home, to speak forgiveness to his wife Amy. Amy called what he’d done “unforgivable.”
But together all these victims nursed each other’s half-eaten-away souls while God brought them back to life.
Gideon explained, “Our forgiveness isn’t about Charlie. Forgiving doesn’t mean forgetting. It doesn’t even mean a pardon. We know that Charlie will stand before a just God, but we also know that if we hold on to our anger and resentment, then it is only ourselves who are being punished.”
Forgiveness is not really even between me and my offender; it is between me and God.* God allowed this to happen. Can I forgive Him? Or will I be eaten by hate, more quickly than I can imagine chewed alive by those sharp teeth?
God’s grace nourishes our broken chewed-up souls back to life, again and again. There is nothing else for it. Finding my forgiveness assures that there is nothing else needed.
God, you are never not more than enough. You are always more than enough. I know that now; let me remember it when I am tempted in some agony to forget, and panic, and hate. You alone will close the mouth of the roaring lion seeking to devour me. Only you yesterday, today, and forever. More than enough.
* This important insight is brought to life in #14 of a good online group study written to accompany the viewing of Amish Grace: http://www.foxconnect.com/media/cmsfiles/faith/amishgrace_study_guide-1.pdf
