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The God of Second Chances
I believe we all live our lives somewhere on a continuum between our highest intentions and our lowest inclinations. We aspire toward goodness, approach it, touch it, even keep company with it for a while, only to then be enticed back in the direction of our baser pleasures. In biblical terms, we are in constant motion between the two poles of exile and restoration, one characterized by arrogance, the other by humility, one by generosity and the other by greed, one by compassion and the other by judgment. We do not necessarily live in the extremes, but at all times we are being tugged in one direction or the other.
I also believe it is God’s will that we aspire to the good, that he calls us to that good, celebrates our pursuit of it, forgives us our retreat from it, and then calls us back to it again. Ours is a God of second chances, made manifest in stories like the restoration of the Hebrew temple, the return of the prodigal son, and the redemption of a common thief who hung on a cross with Christ at his side and who was promised that on the day of his death he would enter paradise.
Re- is a little Latin prefix that simply means to go back to, to do again. We relive the memory of a lover’s first kiss or the joy of a child’s first step. We rebuild the old farm house and the ancient stone wall that encircles it. We renew our charity pledge, our wedding vows, our magazine subscription or our faith. We practice our religion, our re legere, meaning, literally, “to read the stories again.” It is no surprise that in reading those stories again we come upon words like revival, repentance, reconciliation, remembrance, rejoice, redemption, resurrection. They are our expressions of hope, each in its own way, that no matter how far we might wander from a truly integrated life, we can always find our way back, and when we do, the God of second – and third, and fourth, and fifth – chances will welcome us.
I find it a great challenge to try to live that integrated life but a great comfort to know that for all the times I screw it up and fall, or tire of the task, or find myself seduced by what appears to be a better offer, or otherwise capitulate to my lower inclinations, God will not give up on me. Nor will he give up on any of us.
In this way we are all like that prodigal son. We know he left home, and we know that in humility he came back. What we don’t know is if he stayed. But one thing is certain: If he didn’t, God did not give up on him. He was given another chance. And so are we. The question is, how will we use it?
Erik Kolbell is author of the new book "The God of Second Chances." He is a United Church of Christ minister, formerly on the staff at The Riverside Church in New York City. He is a licensed and practicing psychotherapist. He also is author of "What Jesus Meant" and "Were You There." All three are published by Westminster Press.
Read an excerpt from "The God of Second Chances."
By Erik Kolbell |
June 5, 2008; 12:20 PM ET
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Posted by: Paganplace | June 9, 2008 6:56 PM
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George Town/Berkley sais:
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Jacques Berlinerblau & Crony's, via George Town Uni /Berkley Cent sais:
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Posted by: a | June 7, 2008 12:02 AM
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Hrm, point of Latin, here:
"We practice our religion, our re legere, meaning, literally, “to read the stories again.”"
Actually, the word comes from 're ligo' ('I bind or tie again:' I forget which is the infinitive) ...the word doesn't come from a reference to books, rather in honoring bonds and connections with the Gods, etc. Same root as we get 'ligament' and 'ligature' from.
If it were from 'to read' it'd be 'relection' or some such. :)
Posted by: Paganplace | June 6, 2008 8:44 AM
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Wow. The delusion is strong with you, Erik, and a childish delusion it is.
You've regaled us with a hodgepodge of Sunday School stories that might possibly inspire children, but adults who read the WaPo? I sorta doubt it.
Posted by: Mr Mark | June 6, 2008 1:12 AM
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Guess we ain't remembered the 'ligio' yet.
Ah, well. Whattya want. :)