Dear Spirit, Enlighten us like you helped Jesus enlighten his listeners. We have gotten caught up in catching others in their worst moments. Why did we decide to become a Pharisee? When did we decide to be so anxious about sin that we caught a woman in the very act of committing adultery? We have gone so far as to seek her death. Her death does not arouse compassion in us. In fact, we are willing to have a hand in it. The death of a sinner seems to arouse a feeling of satisfaction. It will be a job well done. We will have completed our duties. Our motives are simple. Things will fall apart if rules are broken. We should live in ranked obedience, linear order. We are becoming aware of people whose motives are different. They are not anxious about sin. They do not seek to condemn sinners. They prioritize neither obedience nor order. They tell us we can live instead in concentric circles of compassion. They offer forgiveness, love. Of what have I been afraid all this time? Is it the truth that we have not loved enough? Is that when things fall apart?
Prayer: Dear Spirit, move us from having a hand in oppression to being forgiving.
Question: How tender am I?
April 06, 2025 Gospel John 8:1-11 Fifth Sunday of Lent