Impossible

Last Thursday I presided over our regular prayer/healing meeting at St Thomas Church here in Arizona. Just before I left for the meeting, I heard that Gaddafi was killed. By the time I got to the church I had decided to present the toughest message a human being can listen to, forgiveness. I led a prayer for this man who so many loathed. I led a prayer for a fellow human being that was an imperfect image of God. I recalled the scripture which enjoins us to be as God-like as we can and love our enemies as ourselves. All humans are on a never ending march to perfection. I have heard it said that an army moves on its stomach. Our food for the march is provided in small packets of hard field rations that we wolf down softened and made palatable only by the water of salvation.
The gifts that can sustain them are wrapped in shells that seem so hard to crack that many pass on the food of life, Love. They will stagger on unfed and thirsty rather than admit they need Perfect Love. These people often act out in a rage towards any who would cross their paths. They are caught in the mania of desperation. They cannot bring themselves to stop and take the time and energy to open the very packages prepared for them that will bring them hope. So they try to force others to share what they erroneously believe is their food of life, obedience and fear. They try to wrest from us what we would gladly give them for free. Love.
These fellow human being are a lesson for us. It is our task to continually reach out even to the most hated. By doing this we make quantum leaps ahead in our journey to the Perfection that is our rightful heritage. No one robs us of this heritage by torturing, starving, bombing, raping or mass killing. They only make their journey more difficult. So what can help these miserable excuses for humanity? The greatest gift that we can share with them is the forgiveness that we ourselves receive every day from God.
IMPOSSIBLE - is the cry of so many. Kill the bastards and send them to Hell! Get even, Offer your very life for the deaths of these mutants.
Our rightful heroes are those who protect us from the terror. Our military and police are especially gifted by God as out living guardian angels. But like the spiritual angels there is more for them than this one noble goal.
I know that these heroes will gladly give of themselves to save us. I also know that these will also receive special graces to aid them in our behalf. But I also believe that somewhere along their dangerous path they will realise that they can have even more grace. That life has more to give than even the great satisfaction of preserving peace. The gift of forgiveness begins to gnaw at them. The greater gift begins to present itself. Some push any idea of forgiveness deep down into their sub conscience. When post traumatic stress rears its ugly head the cure is a tough one to buy. Forgive and pray for those who have harmed you and your loved ones. Oy, IMPOSSIBLE!
But what if you could do this? What if the all-forgiving God who is the only rightful judge of these people is ready to pack your wounds with the balm of forgiveness. What a jump in your journey to Perfection you can make.
But if you cannot do this, don't feel judged. God knows that you an I are not God and Loves you and me even in our non-Godliness. Let's see if we can Love others despite their non-Godly behaviour. It just may be the field ration that will get us through.
Fr. Rod