Luke 6:27-38
As a young adult, I had little to no patience. It seemed the whole world was out to annoy me and I had no tolerance for it. Why did everyone drive so slow? Why was the cashier at the supermarket not bagging properly? What is taking this person so long to respond to my email? It felt like I was living in a state of aggravation; unloving, judgmental and stingy with mercy and compassion. A friend once said to me, “You do know that your children are witnessing this right? They see your impatience with them.” Yet, I was unmoved.
Then one day, as I grumbled under my breath waiting for the car in front of me to move at the green light, I heard a voice in my heart. God is keeping you still to learn mercy and tolerance, as God is merciful and tolerant with you. What a rude awakening. How many times had God been merciful, compassionate and generous of heart with me? How many times had I said, “God, if you’ll just do this…I will do that” and not kept my end of the promise? How could I be so arrogant and oblivious?
Through the years I have learned the deeper our walk with God, the more we become Christ-like. But not without effort. I believe Luke’s passage is reminding us of God’s grace and our responsibility to return this grace in-kind to our brothers and sisters and all God’s people in Christ. One of the ways I strive for this is with what I call gracious speech. It is the practice of communicating and engaging the world with intention and compassion; speaking truth with gentleness, being mindful to cause no harm, offering mercy to those who seem unlovable, quick to forgive and always remembering our Father in heaven who does the same for us. A priest once explained to me that we are like containers. When we are filled with the grace of God we will move and breathe and have our being as one of grace with our words and actions. This is gracious speech. It is what we, as followers of Christ, communicate to the world around us.
As I strive to be Christ-like; with compassion, forgiveness, tolerance and non-judgement, I think of the great reward that Luke reminds us of. It is the peace and joy that comes with striving; indeed, God’s covering of mercy: a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over our lives.
Prayer: Lord God, you are love, mercy and compassion; quick to forgive and slow to judge. Keep me guided by the love of Christ and the discernment of the Holy Spirit as I strive to be gracious in speech and action each day. Amen.
Meditation by Kimme Carlos, Postulant
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Ewing
Diocese of New Jersey