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By Father Ted Brown, ms
"Come let's begin again."
I am touched by the tenderness of the reading from Isaiah in today's first reading. God is so desirous of helping us make things right. In the biblical world, no city stood out as sin city like Sodom; it was an ancient "Las Vegas." What happened in Sodom stayed in Sodom.
This total sinfulness is the starting place in Isaiah's passage about God's ultimate healing powers. Even Sodom was not beyond God's love and mercy. Even though its sins were scarlet and red, God was ready to forgive and bring them to goodness again.
I think this is a powerful message for us. Often I hear people say, "I'm too far gone: God could never forgive me." Others say: "I can't forgive myself." When we get to this point, we can become paralyzed. We think there is no hope for us, and we sink deeper and deeper into despair.
God does not want us to live in such a broken state. Jesus said, "I have come so that you might have life: life to the fullest." (John 10:10) God wants to move us beyond our brokenness, and go towards the life God always dreamed for us.
Can we hear in today's reading from Isaiah God saying to you, to you personally: "No matter what you have done, you are not beyond my love; come, let's start over. We can make things right. You can have a full life. Come let's begin."
Today is a day to tell God you are ready to start again. What small steps can you take to begin again? When we say aloud our sinfulness, we take the first steps. Often that is the beginning of God bringing us back. Isn't this the first and most important step of AA that leads people to a new life?
When we hear ourselves honestly say, "This is how I have failed." It makes us own what we have done, and by owning it, we can begin again. Isaiah says:
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow.
People hear the last words of this passage as condemnation. I hear it as a plea from God, saying: "Look what will happen if you continue, life will all fall apart on you. It will be like you are being consumed by a sword." God says: "I don't want that for you."
Even if you have not done a thing for Lent yet, it's not too late. Your God wants you to have a life again. Will you cooperate with Him?
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