The centerpiece of this text...
Illustration
The centerpiece of this text shines on a woman with a sordid reputation that came to
anoint Jesus' feet with costly spices. The gospel of John said that she had done a beautiful
thing. Luke leaped over several hurdles in telling this story. First women were not
supposed to be seen in public. Besides that, a woman, obviously a prostitute, was never
supposed to be seen at all. And what religious official would dare to address such a
woman? Jesus did the unheard of thing. He reached out and forgave her of her sins and
then brought her into the circle of his love. John's gospel commenting on this story said:
"She has done a beautiful thing." Often we defang the gospel until it has little power to
disturb and shake us to our very roots.
What better understanding can we find of this revolutionary gospel than in the experience of Marie Roberts? She was the widow of the gunman who killed five little Amish girls and wounded five others on October 2, 2006. Marie wrote a letter recently to thank the Amish for their extraordinary forgiveness after the shootings:
Our family wants each of you to know that we are overwhelmed by the forgiveness, grace, and mercy that you've extended to us. Your love for our family has helped to provide the healing we so desperately need. The prayers, flowers, cards, and gifts you've given have touched our hearts in a way no words can describe. Your compassion has reached beyond our family, beyond our community, and is changing our world, and for this we sincerely thank you.
Please know that our hearts have been broken by all that has happened. We are filled with sorrow for all of our Amish neighbors whom we have loved and continue to love. We know that there are many hard days ahead for all the families who lose loved ones, and so we will continue to put our hope and trust in the God of all comfort, as we all seek to rebuild our lives.
(Reprinted from The Christian Science Monitor, October 18, 2006)
What better understanding can we find of this revolutionary gospel than in the experience of Marie Roberts? She was the widow of the gunman who killed five little Amish girls and wounded five others on October 2, 2006. Marie wrote a letter recently to thank the Amish for their extraordinary forgiveness after the shootings:
Our family wants each of you to know that we are overwhelmed by the forgiveness, grace, and mercy that you've extended to us. Your love for our family has helped to provide the healing we so desperately need. The prayers, flowers, cards, and gifts you've given have touched our hearts in a way no words can describe. Your compassion has reached beyond our family, beyond our community, and is changing our world, and for this we sincerely thank you.
Please know that our hearts have been broken by all that has happened. We are filled with sorrow for all of our Amish neighbors whom we have loved and continue to love. We know that there are many hard days ahead for all the families who lose loved ones, and so we will continue to put our hope and trust in the God of all comfort, as we all seek to rebuild our lives.
(Reprinted from The Christian Science Monitor, October 18, 2006)
