Growing up and coming from a large family, often times meant that we drew a lot of attention from other folks.
People would stare at us in large part because we were a large family: 10 children was not a common thing in the 70's and 80's.
Often times these stares would come when we were at the grocery store. Mom would pick us up after school and we would head straight to the store because we were always out of something at the house.
Once in the store, Mom would lead the pack with her basket and the 10 of us hung on her hip, going where ever she went.
It always happened that someone would walk by and stare at us. My brothers and I would often stare back. Our mother when she caught us staring would always say, "it is not polite to stare."
As kids, we never understood. We thought it was just another thing that adults just made up.
A few months back I was driving down the main drag here in victoria and I came upon a red light. Stopped at the red light, I was distracted by my cell phone. Someone had sent me a text message. So I decided to check it while the light was red. Well, apparently, I was still checking it when the light turned green.
The gentleman behind me did not take it well that I was delayed in moving. He blared his horn and said a few words that quickly got my attention. So I waved, acknowledging my sin and move forward. Well, this gentleman did not think he expressed his frustration sufficiently enough.
He zoomed around me in his car and as I glanced over he stared me down all the while moving his lips. As he stared me down, I heard my mother's voice, "it is not polite to stare."
I understood what she meant.
As this gentleman was staring me down, I felt a bit uncomfortable. When you stare at someone, you hold them bound and make them a prisoner of your own judgments. Staring at someone suffocates them. It takes away their freedom and it eliminates the possibility of change.
It is not polite to stare!
If you go to the gospel today. The scribes and pharisees catch a woman in adultery. This is never a good place to be.
Not only do they catch her but they bring her out in front of everyone and "made her stand in the middle."
This woman, humiliated, embarrassed, scared for her life is surround on all sides by a pack wolves waiting to pounce. They stare her down; they suffocate her with their glare; they hold her bound in her sins; they make her prisoner of misery.
If you notice in the gospel, Jesus never participates. He refuses to stare. In fact, when they bring the woman out, Jesus stoops to the ground.
Jesus doesn't look at her until everyone has left and they were all alone.
Jesus knew it was not polite to stare. He understood that staring only suffocates. He refused to define this woman by her sins; he refused to hold her bound in misery.
Rather, when he looks upon her for the first time, he offers her a simple gaze of mercy, "neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more."
Mercy leads her from misery and brings her where God wants her to be, to that place where something new is happening as Isaiah proclaims in the first reading, "see, I am doing something new."
Condemnation gives way to forgiveness. Mercy overcomes misery.
Notice what Jesus doesn't say. He doesn't tell the women, "go and do whatever you want." He doesn't say, "everything will be alright." He tells her, "Go and sin no more."
Mercy given is not license. Mercy makes demands. Mercy, if it is true mercy, empowers us to change and to change often. It frees us from sin and empowers us to live again anew.
Jesus refuses to define us by our sins because he knows we are so much more. Yet, he also demands that we do not delay. He demands we change today and live anew and never receive mercy in vain.
It is not polite to stare, this is true. Mercy overcomes misery and condemnation gives way to forgiveness and the gaze of mercy sets us free and empowers us to be who God created us to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment