The Pain we Cause - December 10

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 38; PM Psalm 119:25-48; Amos 8:1-14; Rev. 1:17-2:7; Matt. 23:1-12

When I served in the Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee, the clergy had a tradition of gathering on the Tuesday of Holy Week for a Eucharist. We would reaffirm our ordination vows, receive chrism oil from the bishop, and then share lunch together. One year, the Rt. Rev. Don Johnson, my ordaining bishop, preached a sermon that has stayed with me.

He told a story from when he had just graduated from seminary in the late 1970s. He was thrilled to wear his new clericals, walking confidently through downtown Chicago. Someone stopped him and asked enthusiastically, “Are you a minister?” Bishop Johnson proudly said, “Yes.” The man then spit on him and walked away. Bishop Johnson went on to tell a room full of clergy that we must never forget: the Church has caused pain in this world, and people carry the wounds of that history. His story was not meant to shame us, but to remind us that humility must accompany our call.

I hear that same challenge in today’s Gospel, where Jesus addresses the crowds about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and scribes—the religious leaders of his day. “They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others.” Ouch.

Our baptismal theology tells us that all of us are ministers, not just those who wear collars. So perhaps this Gospel is not only a warning for clergy, but an invitation for all Christians to reflect. Even when we are trying to be faithful, we can miss the mark. And sometimes, in our attempts to do good, we may end up hurting others.

I draw our attention to this not to discourage us, but to nurture a season of humility and openness. It is often only through loss, honesty, and pain that reconciliation and new life take root. If we are truly people of hope and resurrection, then we already know where the story is headed. That confidence can give us the courage to face what is uncomfortable, trusting that God meets us on the other side.

Faithfully,
John+

Question for Self-Reflection: Where might God be inviting me to listen more humbly—especially in places where I may have caused hurt without realizing it?