Love Overflowing
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.
Luke 6:36-38
Whenever this reading comes up I can’t help but visualize the image of the good gifts being, “packed together, shaken down, and overflowing (will be) poured into your lap.” It feels messy and wonderful! Like baking bread or cookies. Yesterday was my birthday and that means that my kids all come in to be with me if they can. They and my husband tend to conspire to make it a day where I can’t doubt my value in their lives. So, the house was full of joy. From the stroke of midnight and continuing all day was joy upon joy; from texts, to songs, to cards to cake. A day full of gratitude and overflowing with love. Old friends and new, my mother and siblings and coworkers, were all packed together, and shaken down so that all of the overflowing love poured into my lap.
With this as a life, how can I judge another? How can I not show my gratitude to God for his profound presence in these people I love? How can I condemn…even though I feel I have the right to? I can’t, because I simply know better. I have no other response that is appropriate than to forgive since I know all of these people have often forgiven me. More importantly, I know how often God has forgiven me. How could I not see that it is a privilege to be in a position to show mercy?
This is what I need to remember when I get into my lesser self, the one who sometimes forgets all that has been given to me. The one who on dark days judges very harshly, speaks in condemning tones and refuses to forgive. If God in his generosity can see fit to give me such a beautiful life, the least I can do is respond by not indulging that side of me, hard though it may be. But that is the gift of Lent. To wrassle that side of ourselves and help it come around to seeing how beautiful this all can be.
So, on this Monday, in the 2nd week of Lent, may your lap be full and your spirit open to respond to our hurting world with mercy and love.
