Wildfires have burned for close to a week now in Oregon. The air quality here is hazardous. A blanket of smoke from those wildfires hangs over the Portland metro area; blocking the sun and turning the atmosphere orange. The sky has become a huge, orange cautionary sign of the times. and in more ways than one; a warning that we should continue on our way only if we, as a society. are unable to stop safely. I am pondering what a safe stop for western culture could be.
I suppose this colors my reaction to today's Gospel. I normally belove the compassionate "grace of God" message Christians act from as an Easter people. However Peter. and the ending of the Parable of the Wicked Servant make me unusually apprehensive while this smoke weighs heavy on our Portland hearts and lungs.
We start with Peter asking the question “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”. After answering "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times." Jesus relates the parable to Peter. I have always considered only from Peter's point of view, namely how many times shall I, as the person sinned against, forgive? Today I am thinking about others forgiving me who I have unintentionally sinned against. I have reaped many benefits from a society that is on an economically and environmentally unsustainable path, offers healthcare as a commodity for those who can't afford it, and is built on a foundation of racial and social injustice.
There is something ominous about the ending of this parable. The Lord in this parable asks "Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart." This admonition alone is humbling.
Couple this with what Jesus told Peter in Matthew 16:19 "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Peter asks about possible boundaries of forgiveness in this passage. The parable appears to end with a warning "Forgive, or else" Are there boundaries to forgiveness in heaven because of what we bind on earth? Does Peter understand heaven in this way? Do we? I only understand today what I don't know about how God's grace and mercy works in mysterious ways.
Discovering myself and others in the wicked or unjust servant role, as seen by some of my brothers and sisters in Christ, is an added weight with the smoke on my heart. I may not wield power as mercilessly and hypocritically as the servant in the parable but I'm not sure how much that matters. We all need to breathe free and yet we currently cannot imagine how to make this kingdom of heaven a reality.
A new vision is needed. A different way of living that is demanding to be born,
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