I often find myself thinking about the difference between the words “simple” and “easy.” Today is no exception.
In the gospel today, Jesus tells the disciples, “Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur.”
Jesus always strikes me as a very practical teacher. He’s acknowledging that the things that cause sin are everywhere and inevitable. His counsel is to not be the channel for it.
Simple, but not easy.
Before we go further, it might be useful just to say a word or two about “sin.” In the biblical imagination, the word “sin” is often used in the singular. It is meant as a state of separation from God (which can also be understood as separation from others and separation for the natural world). And it is from this state of separation that other “sins” arise.
So if I might restate Jesus’ words in this context, they might read, “The occasions for separation will inevitably occur. Be careful not to give in to or be an agent of separation.”
Sadly most of us have been well schooled to be agents of separation.
Colonization taught us this – encouraging us to separate ourselves from the land and from the first peoples who lived on it.
Church often taught us this – encouraging us to separate ourselves from God, from our bodies and from the world (let alone the disconnections and separations we learned related to sexism in the church)
Caregivers often taught us this – discounting our experiences and feelings as children.
Capitalism taught us this – putting profits before people.
And we’ve had so many other teachers…like racism, militarism, classism, etc. that have encouraged us to separate ourselves from each other, from human suffering, from ourselves.
Just pause for a moment here and note the many separations that you have internalized. No one is born into the world this way. We are all recruited into these ways of being, and Jesus is inviting us to be aware of this today.
The good news that Jesus brings is that separation is not the only option available to us. We can learn to reconnect, and while it may not seem all that earth-shattering, it starts with our breath and just being here in this moment.
Simple, but not easy.
One of the prayers that I have always loved is called the “Prayer of St. Francis” (while it is called that, it’s likely that Francis never said anything even close to this!). The words, for me, offer us a vision of what it might be like to be a channel for something else in the world.
God, make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me bring love.
Where there is offence, let me bring pardon.
Where there is discord, let me bring union.
Where there is error, let me bring truth.
Where there is doubt, let me bring faith.
Where there is despair, let me bring hope.
Where there is darkness, let me bring your light.
Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.
This prayer reminds us that we have a choice every day of what we will bring into this world and to each encounter. We can be channels of separation, but that will only bring more of the same. Or we can pause and try to be channels of peace, hope, light and joy in a world that so desperately needs these.
Perhaps as we move through our day and the week ahead, we can look for opportunities to channel peace, love, pardon, union, truth, faith, hope, light and joy as often as we can.
Simple, but not easy.