Easter starts today.
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We all love to talk about mercy until we believe someone deserves justice. We find it easy to attribute our shortcomings to external factors but blame the shortcomings of others on some character flaw they have. This is known as the fundamental attribution error.
This error in our thinking often leads us to be more critical and condemning towards others. When we sin and fall short of the glory of God we explain and justify ourselves and seek and hope for mercy from God, others and ourselves. However when someone else sins and falls short we are inclined to believe it is because they are a bad person, or that they brought the problem upon themselves.
I am not talking here of turning a blind eye to every behavior and shortcoming. But We would do well to remember that the merciful receive mercy and that how we judge determines our own judgement.
We all make mistakes and fall short of living up to the ideals we believe and try to live. When we are genuinely trying, being imperfect does not make us a hypocrite, it makes us human. So often we are inclined to see the motes in another’s eye whilst remaining oblivious to the beam in our own.
I have loved for many years the following quote by Jeffrey Holland.
“When a battered, weary swimmer tries valiantly to get back to shore, after having fought strong winds and rough waves which he should never have challenged in the first place, those of us who might have had better judgment, or perhaps just better luck, ought not to row out to his side, beat him with our oars, and shove his head back underwater. That’s not what boats were made for. But some of us do that to each other.”
When we see a friend, a spouse, a family member struggling in the wind tossed waves of life, what do we think, say and do? People who are struggling and drowning are usually acutely aware of their situation. I know that I am.
We aren’t called to judge or condemn. Of course we should take steps when necessary to genuinely protect ourselves and others, but these situations are generally rare.
Many of us love the story of the father running to embrace his returning son in the parable, which has come to be known as the prodigal son. The imagery of the father is touching. When we see people coming back, or even just making steps to come back, do we rush out to embrace them or do we stand with are arms crossed and say something like, “Where have you been?”, “Nice of you to come back!”, “you owe me an apology”, I’m sure you can come up with other examples.
“A new commandment I give unto you that ye love one another” said Jesus on his final night with his disciples. Loving one another is perhaps the single greatest signifier of our true discipleship. Love is not always easy, but love are the two great commandments. Love is the message of the Gospel. Love is what led Christ to say send me and then follow through.
Easter didn’t end on Resurrection Sunday, in many ways it had only just begun. Now that everything Christ taught was validated by his resurrection, it is now our privilege to live what he taught and the paramount of his teachings was almost certainly love. Love of god, love of others and loving ourselves.
Book Club
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