Tuesday of the 3rd
Week of Lent
March 1, 2016 8:30am
I came across an exercise that
may help us in dealing with angry, resentful and hostile feelings.
Write down on a piece of paper
the wrong, the offense or the hurt that you are holding against another person.
Then roll up the piece of paper
into a ball and put it into the palm of your hand and make a fist.
Clench your fist as tight as you
can.
Don’t let up the pressure.
See how long you can hold onto
this piece of paper in that way.
In fact, carry it with you like
that throughout the day.
Well, as you would imagine, after
a while, your fingers ache and your hand gets stiff and maybe numb.
Eventually, all of our attention
goes on maintaining this and we will be distracted from other things we are doing.
We will be unable to reach out to
shake someone’s hand or to touch something.
Well, this is a good image for
showing what sometimes happens.
This is what we allow to happen
to our hearts and spirits when we let resentment fester or anger or hostility
get the best of us.
It hurts us and consumes our
attention and keeps us from doing other worthwhile things
So, forgiveness – the topic of
this gospel – is not easy.
But it is the very center of
Jesus’ message.
It is the foundation of the
bridges we are to build and not destroy.
It is the equipment for taking
down walls and not building them.
And, I would add in conclusion,
all of this is true on both an interpersonal and a societal level – something
for us always, and maybe especially right now to think about.
