Deal Gently With Us

It is my habit to read from the book Disciplines each morning. On Fridays, since I know I won’t keep to my habit on the weekend, I read Friday, Saturday and Sunday’s entries. Today that created a juxtaposition in my mind of two lectionary readings for the week as well as two devotional readings.

The two lectionary readings are Job 38:34-41 and Hebrews 5:1-6.

In the Job passage, God and Job are continuing their “discussion.” God’s purpose seems to be to demonstrate to Job that he (Job) is the created one while God is the creator, and Job shouldn’t forget it. It is a passage that reminds me of the hugeness of God. The author pointed out that it also shows us that we are not in control; God is in control.

The Hebrews passage talks about the idea that even those among us who are “priests” have still sinned, and therefore need to treat those who make mistakes with gentleness and kindness.

There was one line in the devotional which really caught my attention. The author was talking about a time when she had asked for forgiveness from another person. As well as the weight of the guilt being removed, the author was amazed by the sympathy and concern that was offered to her by the other person – the one who was doing the forgiving. Pam Crosby said, “That person dealt gently with me and my offense.”

It occurs to me that asking for forgiveness is particularly difficult. We live in a world where we want to feel as if we are in control. Asking for pardon – confession – removes us from that position. We are vulnerable. We are not in control. I don’t imagine that any of us like it.

Perhaps what the passage from Hebrews is telling us is that when someone else lays down the reins of control and asks us for forgiveness, it is not our job to pick up that control. As the conversation in Job tell us, God is in control, and we need to leave it that way.

The confessor, when he asks for forgiveness, is standing in front of the Body of Christ, vulnerable. We have a unique opportunity to allow God to be in control of the situation, and to deal “gently” with the one who has made the mistake. It can be hard, and I know that even this week, I have failed to do this. My actions in failure haven’t built up the Body of Christ – all that has been created is two people who need forgiveness instead of one. The opportunity to build the Body of Christ is lost or postponed when God is not in control.

Steve sent me a text message this morning. He typed it out on the phone, intending to save it as a draft, and to send it to me when he had cell phone signal. When he finished typing it, he looked down, and he had signal – in a place where there shouldn’t have been any, so he sent it on. It arrived at my phone right at the time I needed it.

Amazing isn’t it?

Here’s what he sent:
Man’s way leads to a hopeless end.
God’s way leads to endless hope.Amen.

Image: Leaves on the ground since every time I try to take a photo of leaves on a tree, it comes out blurry.