Richard Ethun, proud husband of Karen and dad of Elizabeth, Angela and Cecilia; member for 30+ years; and Sinner at St. Luke’s.

Center yourself on today’s reflection by lighting a candle and reciting this breath prayer:
Inhale – You take dry bones and clothe them with bodies
Exhale – create a church from those who are dead.

Matthew 5:17
Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 

Reflection:
In modern movies, I often see the same scene. It is usually a group seated in a circle of chairs and the protagonist or star is one of them and someone begins with, “Hello, my name is…, and I’m an…addict, abuser, alcoholic…” something. And invariably I see people in this group who I think look like they belong. Except for the star and usually one other attractive person, these other people look like they have made a mess of their lives and they belong in this group. The story continues, I’ve made my judgment and I don’t give it another thought. 

And while I don’t stand by myself and pray out loud, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people…” I think it, and then I don’t give it another thought. Innocent, innocuous, oblivious. This character flaw in me came home a couple of weeks ago when I was reading the account of Phillip introducing Nathanael to Jesus in the Gospel of John. And Nathanael says, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from Nazareth?” and I realized that for years I have read this passage but have never felt this passage. I looked for the Old Testament reference but found none. I dug deeper looking for a justification for this particular usage and found nothing—then it hit me. This was just a regional slur. A colloquial slight about a backwater, hick town of those people. It was so light and airy, like a dandelion seed on the wind drifting by. Hardly noticed until the seeds land, propagate, and the lawn is covered by weeds.

The season of Lent is such an important time in the life of the church. And part of this season is the opportunity to change. But in order to change, we must accept who we are, where we have been, and what we have been about. A reflection cast by a mirror is a great metaphor for my typical Lenten journey. I normally deal with the surface stuff that I see in the mirror. But what Christ calls me to do is to look beneath. When he said, “I did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it,” he said to me that it is not enough, Richard, for you to act like you love God and your neighbor as yourself, but to live it you must believe. And lean on me. Accept my spirit.

And so, my healing begins with an honest reflection about who I am, where I have been, and what I have been about. “Hello, my name is Richard and I am a sinner.” I belong to this group. I am down but not out, bent but not broken, lost but not abandoned. God loves me and welcomes me home. He sent his son to redeem me and Spirit to strengthen me. I belong to this group.

Prayer:
God of Grace and Glory, help me. I cannot do this alone. I am quick to judge and condemn. Please send your spirit that I may be emboldened to be who you have called me to be. And God, I pray that each of us will look within not in resignation but with the blessed assurance that we are not alone. Amen.