Monday, February 18, 2008
From AscensionNYC
Monday in the Second Week of Lent
by Michael Macdonald
Psalm 79:1-9
Daniel 9: 3-10
Luke 6:27-38
Today's passage from the gospel according to St. Luke calls us to what I consider to be the ultimate Lenten discipline — giving up anger. Can you imagine? Turning the other cheek; not only forgiving someone who takes your possessions, but also not asking for their return; loving your enemies? It's almost impossible for me to ponder!
Just consider the consequences of giving up anger. On a personal level, our loved ones might wonder what we are trying to hide. (Are we "seeing" someone else? Have we been drinking?) On a national level, the defense industry would suffer a serious downturn, and this could have a negative effect on our national economy. (On what would we spend all of the money that is currently used for our national defense — the elimination of poverty in our country or hunger throughout the world?) The nations that we consider our enemies might, like our loved ones, wonder what we are up to. (Are we secretly building the ultimate nuclear weapon?) They certainly wouldn't be able to comprehend that we have no ulterior motive; that we are merely carrying out Christ's call to "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Fortunately, though, this is only a Lenten discipline. We can go right back to being spiteful and angry, to building armaments, to attacking our enemies, to conducting war on Easter. But wait, that’s a Sunday — the Sabbath — a day of rest. I guess we'll just have to wait until the day after Easter to become our old vengeful selves!
Psalm 79:1-9
Daniel 9: 3-10
Luke 6:27-38
Today's passage from the gospel according to St. Luke calls us to what I consider to be the ultimate Lenten discipline — giving up anger. Can you imagine? Turning the other cheek; not only forgiving someone who takes your possessions, but also not asking for their return; loving your enemies? It's almost impossible for me to ponder!
Just consider the consequences of giving up anger. On a personal level, our loved ones might wonder what we are trying to hide. (Are we "seeing" someone else? Have we been drinking?) On a national level, the defense industry would suffer a serious downturn, and this could have a negative effect on our national economy. (On what would we spend all of the money that is currently used for our national defense — the elimination of poverty in our country or hunger throughout the world?) The nations that we consider our enemies might, like our loved ones, wonder what we are up to. (Are we secretly building the ultimate nuclear weapon?) They certainly wouldn't be able to comprehend that we have no ulterior motive; that we are merely carrying out Christ's call to "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Fortunately, though, this is only a Lenten discipline. We can go right back to being spiteful and angry, to building armaments, to attacking our enemies, to conducting war on Easter. But wait, that’s a Sunday — the Sabbath — a day of rest. I guess we'll just have to wait until the day after Easter to become our old vengeful selves!
