Then Peter came and said to him, ‘If another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. –Matthew 18:21-22
On Fridays, our daily Lenten devotion takes the form of an invitation: to take an action that deepen or widens community.
Today, I invite you to pay attention to a relationship in your life–in the church, among neighbors or family or friends–that is strained in some way. Perhaps you have been hurt by intentional or unintentional actions. Or maybe you know you have hurt the other person. Or you have grown apart. Or there’s an important conversation you’ve been avoiding.
Take some time to think and pray about it. Perhaps you can identify a path toward reconciliation; if so, can you take the first step on that path?
Maybe you can’t see a path; if that’s a case, is there an act of kindness you are confident would be a positive step?
In some cases, it may be time to let go of an expectation that a relationship will go back to the way it used to be. What would be a first step toward letting go?
This is a hard one. It starts with lots of thoughtfulness and prayer. It may necessitate finding a trusted friend to talk it through. It can be tempting to overthink the situation so much that you do nothing. It can be equally tempting to leap into an action that might feel good but ultimately does not help.
So take time. Notice what is stirred for you as you reflect. Find help. And if it is the right thing to do, act–always with kindness toward yourself and others.
God of reconciliation, bless our thoughts and our prayers and our actions, that we might be kind to ourselves and one another. Amen.
