The 5th Sunday of Lent (John 8: 1-11)
Growing up, we absorb an awful lot from family, friends and our culture -- for the most part unconsciously. Over time these beliefs and inclinations (pre-judgments) understandably have grown deep roots and, contrary to popular psych, rarely do we question or easily change such learnings. Indeed, we're more likely to defend these positions, consciously or not. After all it's such “conventional wisdom” that gets us through the day, most of the time.
I suspect that in my own life-lessons there is more American egalitarianism and meritocracy than anything from the Bible; indeed, like our Protestant neighbors, my generation often used the Bible (although more often we the Baltimore Catechism) to “prove” what we believed. Why not? these were sound Christian principles and if we don't know exactly where they came from, they could at least be footnoted in the Bible.
Until it came to forgiveness, that is. Forgiveness seemed one of those “soft doctrines” meant to be taken seriously by only a very few – people like monks, nuns, or imaginary characters in a bedtime story or a Disney movie. In the real world, self-made, hard-working, mostly-successful people don’t easily forgive; it doesn’t seem right, nor fair. Deep down it may not even feel normal or human – at best we can forgive, but never forget! (whatever that means!) We can even argue that forgiving is ultimately disrespectful to the one who has done the damage. For his own good he should repair the damage, she should feel our pain, they should pay the piper…
While growing up with my brother and three sisters, children of devout Roman Catholics in a little Baptist town in southeast Texas, I learned that each of us is responsible for his or her own life. If we worked hard, were honest and fair, and treated others with respect then we would do well in life. On the other hand, if we were lazy, made too many mistakes and hurt others, then we would pay with ruined lives and worse – even with eternal punishment.
I’m not surprised that I remember very few of those many punishments I received while growing up. For me there's no doubt; I deserved every one of them. I do have one memory, however, of when I couldn’t have been more than seven or eight years old. It happened during one of our “family nights” when the Borliks gathered together for fun -- to watch a movie or play cards (I can’t remember which, this time…). That afternoon I had been caught fighting with my brother Rick and I had hurt him. As punishment, I was grounded in my room for the night. Fighting with Rick was certainly not an uncommon sin for me, but on this particular occasion I was terribly sorry (probably mostly because of the punishment!) That night, about midway through the festivities, Mom entered my room to check on me. I was disconsolate, miserable, crying. She sat down at my side, saying nothing, but put her arm around my shoulder and we sat together for a moment or two.
I could barely speak but mumbled, “I’m sorry…”
She said, “come on out and join the rest of the family.”
And that was that. Forgiveness was my mother shouldering my guilt, inviting me back into the fold… I felt free as a bird.
A memory like that could help see what needs to be seen in this Sunday’s gospel.
Jesus gets himself in trouble again, at least with those who’ve dedicated their lives to bring some order to their homeland. He dares to ignore his own Law and seems to let a condemned criminal (a woman caught in adultery) go free. By what right? Who does he think he is?
No matter how one feels about political or religious leaders (in Jesus’ Palestine these were the Pharisees, Scribes, and others the people respected), the authorities were “right” to point out that an injustice had been done and the guilty woman should pay (no mention of her male co-conspirator, or how they caught her in flagrante, but that’s not the point).
What a pity, that, in our so-called Christian society and even in our Catholic communities, such forgiveness hasn't caught on, that it hasn't become the fashion. It could save our world so much grief!
