Reflection for Lent 4 – To Blame or Not To Blame
“Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all the other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did” (Luke 13:2-3)
The idea that people suffer because they are worse sinners than anyone else is ‘put to death’ (excuse the pun) by Jesus when he is confronted with the stories of groups of fellow Galileans dying suddenly – whether by Roman soldiers or a large tower falling.
We are saturated with news every single day of people suffering through no fault of their own. And, like the people around Jesus of Nazareth, we want to know why this happens. At the heart of this question we might see two poles of motivation.
The first, most obvious, is the need to know how to avoid the same fate. If we know why this suffering happens, we can avoid it happening to ourselves and those we love.
The second is the deep empathy many of us feel when we hear or see this suffering and the desire to do something to alleviate the pain of others. What some have called the ‘deep pastoral ache’ in us.
And quite often, the result is we want to blame someone/something – to transfer our own pain.
Jesus refuses to allow those around him to avoid facing the truth of their mortality and of the uncertainty in living in the world.
They will die, and most likely at a time not of their own choosing – ‘you will all perish as they did’.
So, Jesus says, don’t put off what you need to do, trying to find excuses to avoid facing this reality. Turn back to God – ‘repent’ – now! There is nothing more urgent in this life.
Today, many have had the stuffing of certainty knocked out of us. And there appears to be a culture of blame solidifying in its place.
Refusing to allow blame to fill the hole in us is not easy. Turning back to God, listening to God, will maybe show us things we do not want to see about ourselves – ‘take the log out of your own eye before you complain about the speck in your neighbour’s eye’.
What would life be like if we stopped concentrating on blame and just got on with making things better for people?
I was struck by the recent news article by an academic living in Kyiv in this terrible time. The author had noticed a remarkable increase in acts of kindness by the citizens towards each other in the last couple of weeks. Sharing where to get needed supplies, ushering people to the front of queues for medicines based on need. The list of acts of kindness went on.
May we listen to the voice of the One who knows no blame and asks us to turn and follow.
Blessings
Ceri
