REFLECTION FOR MARCH 2014        PETER MILLAR
                                       petermillarreflects.blogspot.co.uk

Thoughts in Lent

Each day we read in our papers and see on our screens the deep scars that permeate so many lives near and far. We are all wounded in one way or another, yet the journey through Lent reminds us that there is a road of healing upon which we can walk each day. To say this is not to minimise the sorrows of the human soul which we know all too well, but to catch a glimpse of that place of sunlight which is the heart of God for every human being. For in the days of Lent we encounter not just the wounds in ourselves but also the vulnerability of the One who holds us. There is no real hope for our human condition unless we believe that God also suffers, weeps and carries pain. Suffering is both at the heart of life and in the heart of God - a truth which is expressed clearly in the events of Good Friday.

Over many years, I have been challenged by the Seven Words of Christ from the Cross and in various articles and books have written about them. On many Good Fridays I have spoken about them. They reach into the deepest places of our being. The Seven Words are taken from different Gospels and have provided a pattern of prayer and reflection for Christians through the centuries. Yet I have never thought of them as Words only for believers in Christ for they speak to us all in every age, not least the first of the Words.

      “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.”   (Luke 23: 34)
Just look around. Is there anything every country needs more than practical, deep-rooted acts of forgiveness? And not in just in those places of war and violence, but also in these areas where it all appears calm and pleasant on the surface, yet beneath is a seething cauldron. Take my own country.  In the UK, let alone in any other nation, deeper racism, increasing intolerance of the stranger, an ever widening gap between rich and poor, (the top 5 (yes, five!) wealthiest families in the UK according to a recent report from the charity OXFAM own between them more than the poorest 20% of the entire population) and an inward-looking political system often devoid of wisdom are all social markers.

Sure there are signs of hope in society which we can celebrate, but as Christ said from his Cross all those centuries ago, we do need forgiveness for very often we don’t know what we do either as a nation or as individuals. And this is not about an abstract form of forgiveness. It is about practical things in our daily lives. Take our approach to other faiths. Few of us, including myself, seldom take the time and effort to be in touch with those who belong to other faith traditions. In relation to Islam there is huge distrust. Often fear.

Yet there are those who go against the tide through acts of compassion and outreach. A church near my home recently invited the local Imam and his people for a shared meal, taking great care with the diet of their guests. It was a tender way of saying sorry for the many times all of us have forgotten those of other faiths living near us. And such healing acts are happening in many communities. These encounters open a path to understanding the other person which is the starting point of forgiveness. When we close the door to other faiths, to the poor, to those who are different from us, we truly do not know what we are doing, for all of us share a common heart-beat and carry God’s image within us.
A short, yet profound prayer used by the Iona Community has helped me to refocus both on God’s forgiving love toward me and on my ability to forgive others….
        May God forgive you, Christ renew you and the Spirit enable you to grow in love.
In the light of these words which mirror those of Jesus, I understand the first words from the Cross as a beautiful invitation from the Source of Life to realise that we are not to be imprisoned within resentments, anger and bitterness. At both an individual and global level there is here a path of liberation from these realities. Wherever we see genuine acts of compassionate reaching out to the other, we see forgiveness at work. And when we release our own resentments we see that same power at work in ourselves.

From the place of agony
as death drew near,
You offered surprising words of life.
Words of tenderness –
elevating our human condition
as they invite us to move beyond
our imprisoning angers –
to that place where
all souls can sing of freedom
in the light of Your forgiveness.


Further Notes

Wild Goose Publications in Glasgow is the well-known publishing arm of The Iona Community. In 2014 they will be publishing a prayer book/collection of stories on peace and reconciliation to mark the 100 years since the outbreak of the First World War. Wild Goose is looking for original prayers and for stories (short 500-800 words) on the themes of peace and reconciliation. The deadline for contributions is June 1st 2014. If you can send any material for this book, from the UK or from other countries feel free to do that and please contact Neil Paynter at Wild Goose who will be delighted to hear from you.
Neil’s e-mail address is: neil@ionabooks.com

Wild Goose has also just brought out a group of prayers, written by myself based on the Seven Words From The Cross. This is a small down-load. Details for this are at:
http://www.ionabooks.com/your-life-in-us-pdf-download.html

Details about all the Wild Goose Publications are found at:
www.ionabooks.org

Thank you again for all your e-mails. I was not able to bring out a Reflection in February. I realise that many people receive this Monthly Reflection both by e-mail and through the Blog site. I had hoped to do something about this but it is not possible as I do not know who has subscribed to the Blog and who has not – if that makes sense! Sorry about this. Thanks also to all of you who send out from your homes the Monthly Reflection in many directions.