Ten years
ago today I was chairing a meeting of the Worship Committee for Orwell Church,
it had been a fairly routine meeting seeking to discover new ways in which our
worship could be meaningful and grounded for the community we served. Following
the meeting as people were dispersing Simon said there was something important
on the TV, so we turned it on and were transfixed by what we saw.
An hour
later, I was going around the village with posters saying that the church would
be open that night for prayers, by 7.30 the church was very full and I had also
been approached by the local radio station for comments.
The thought
of what happened on the 11th September 2001 still fills me with
horror and disgust, but perhaps also what fills me with horror is the reaction
of much of the Western world (America and Britain particularly.) and some of
the consequences of that day 10 years ago. I think it is true to say that since
that day many people have felt justified in anti muslim sentiment, and a
growing sense that we want to make sure
“we” are top dogs.
The saga of
Joseph, his amazing technicolour dreamcoat and 11 brothers is well known. It is
a moving story of fraternal jealosy, betrayal, suspicion and forgiveness. In
the portion of the story we have heard today we see that despite reunion the
old suspicion and anxiety between them continues albeit in a less serious form.
Joseph does not rub his brothers noses in the scheming or apparently point it
out to them, but he is gracious and compassionate through and through. A real
hero figure who unites the family and literally keeps it together and prosperous
and through whom it is seen Gods choice is made clear.
From
Matthews gospel today we come to the conclusion on the section to do with
church order and perhaps not surprisingly we come to the question of
forgiveness. For Matthew, church order is about the authority and freedom to
forgive, not about withholding forgiveness. And to illustrate this point we
have the parable of the servant who had been forgiven but who refused to
forgive.
Another
quotation from Richard Rohr may fit in well at this point….
“There is
more harm done by offence taken than by offence intended.” (Richard Rohr)
It is
possible that many of us are held back from reaching truer development, or
feeling truer grace and joy, by the barbs that grow on hurts done to us. We so
easily become stuck in certain places. Equally we can take offence and develop
it even when such a state was never intended at all. Some are naturally
suspicious and expect a knife in the back or a slight of hand at any time.
Such
condition it seems to me actually breeds contempt and it can stifle moving on.
It is also
possible (probable) that we all know how difficult it actually is to move
towards forgiveness. Much of Jesus ministry and teaching was about enabling
people to move on, to be healed, to be made whole, to be forgiven and to feel
released and redeemed.
The self
same possibilities are meant for us too, sometimes we manage it and sometimes
we do not. Praise God for the times we do, for we all know when these moments
are, we all recognise their potency for real life. Jesus offers us today the
same as he did then.
Somehow we
have to learn to learn from the past but not let it dominate our present. There
has been a real concern that the attack on the World Trade centre has changed
the world as we know it today. It has certainly it would seem changed America.
But even something as horrific and unbelievable as this has to healed, and
living forward has to be achieved.
Neil. Thanks for that, a lot of truth in what you say.
ReplyDeleteRegards Geoff