Sunday, March 6
Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
A drama from a Just Peace Play–three actors and a narrator….
1: “I’m hungry” she said. “The children ate the last beans for breakfast. There’s nothing left for dinner.”
2: “I’m hungry,” he said. “We don’t have anything for breakfast. My partner forgot to go to the store and we are out of bagels and coffee.”
3: “Hungry?” she said. “We’ve been waiting fifteen minutes for our table. Tell Chez Louis to hurry up or we’ll leave!”
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1: “I’m tired,” she said. “But at least I found some food for my children!”
2: “I’m tired,” he said. “This commute is killing me!”
3: “Tired?” she said. “Get a massage, have a facial, get an endorphin high climbing in the Himalayas!
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1: “I’m sick,” she said. “I have a lump in my breast, but I can’t afford a doctor.”
2: “I’m sick,” he said. “Maybe the pain in my chest will go away if I take a few Tums.”
3: “Sick?” she said. “Not me, I just had breast implants last year. There can’t be any problems with them…can there?”
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1: “Oh God,” she prayed. “Who will take care of my children? I’m afraid and I need you.”
2: “Oh God” he prayed. “Let the surgeon repair my heart and I will be a better partner and parent. I promise. I’m afraid, and I need you.”
3: “God?” she prayed. “Where are you? I give a lot of money to the church. I’m afraid. I need you!”
Narrator: And so they lived, on the margin, in the middle, moving in an economic group most of us can only imagine. Separate, alone, afraid, unaware of the resources they had to share with each other, unaware of God’s love present in their neighbor.
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I share this vignette from the Just Peace Players because it reminds me of some of the many different ways we trespass against each other and are trespassed against.
We are debtors to people and the planet, and we have people in our debt. We have sinned and experienced people sinning against us…and the cycles that have been going on since we had a conscious choice to act differently continue.
And Jesus asks us to pray to God to forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us! Whoa, that’s scary! I don’t know if I can forgive everyone who has trespassed against me…and I believe I don’t have to. I can grow and change, repent and live differently, and trust that the Holy Spirit will blow through the cracks and embrace the people I cannot forgive or love.
I don’t have to be perfect or never trespass again! I’m human after all. What I can do is heal my hurts, use my anger at injustice and my power as a beloved child of God to work to create a world in which I no longer trespass without seeking to change, create debts that cannot be paid, or sin without seeking to make things right with God and with my neighbors.
I believe that God’s grace, love, spirit of life and laughter is with me in this process and holds me in forgiveness that is unimaginably greater than mine. I’m not off the hook, but there is hope!
Hold us close Holy One. Help us embrace our world with love as we work for justice every day. Amen
–Fran Bogle