Day 11: Wednesday in the second week of Lent
Psalm 86:5
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
….abounding in steadfast love to all who call on you.
God is “good and forgiving” and “abounding in steadfast love.” We need, now and then, to stop and meditate on this deep and wondrous truth. Goodness lies at the heart of existence. The creation is exquisitely beautiful. The stars above are wondrous when we truly see them. The sensual arc of a rose petal is stunning to ponder. The flight of a bird is a marvel. The tender touch of a beloved.
Goodness lies at the heart of all things. And though we fill the world with chaos and cacophony, the rhythm of the waves persist. The sea in all its majesty envelopes the earth. The mountains rise in glorious display. The wildflowers dance in the evening breeze. The rivers tumble and sweep their broad path to the sea. The sunlight casts its glory on the evening clouds.
Goodness lies at the heart of all things: in the warmth of an embrace, in the treasure of a child in your arms, in the laughter of shared stories, in the kindness of shared burdens.
God is “good and forgiving.” There is hope for the human heart. There is mercy to be found. The divine does not hold our failures against us. There comes a new day, a new start, a fresh beginning, a chance to be better, kinder, truer. There is grace for us. A reconciliation with the divine. A reconciliation with the earth. A reconciliation with one another.
Reconciliation waits. The pathways of mercy are open to us. We can receive mercy. We can do mercy. We can forgive debts and be forgiven. We can heal wounds and surmount divisions. Hearts can open. Walls can come down. Doors can open.
The heavens are not cold and indifferent. God is “abounding in steadfast love.” And it is given freely.
Gracious and ever-present God,
whose mercy knows no bounds,
and whose arms are ever open to your world:
Grant us new birth as your children
And make us joyful in your service.
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Image: dkbonde