Lent Meditation three, by Andrew Manning
“Somewhere between the wrong and the right
Somewhere between the darkness and the light
Somewhere between who I was and who you’re making me
Somewhere in the middle, you’ll find me” (Mark Hall)
The story of scripture is a story of transformation. Even Jesus had moments of transformation (e.g. The Syrophoenician women).
God is constantly at work in our lives changing our focus, changing our thought processes, so that we may be of better use to him. We live between who we were and who God is making us to be.
In our human nature we are prone to binary thinking, in which we take opposing viewpoints and conflict is our way of resolution. We think in terms of: ‘on and off, black and white, right and wrong,’ for us to win, someone else must loose.
This is not the way of Christ.
Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life. This is not a destination but a journey. A journey takes you from where you are to where you are going, the Way is somewhere in the middle,
When we live from the middle, we can listen to opposing points of view, and value the person holding them. We can feel their pain and appreciate their perspective. We can appreciate the ‘why’ behind their perspective and love them despite our own view on the matter. When we accept that we do not know it all, we can move away from judgmental thinking to righteous thinking. When we accept that our absolutes are our interpretation, but the Way of Christ, is somewhere in the middle, we will move away from violence and any form of superiority. Living from the middle does not mean that we are tossed in the wind or fickle, it means we have soft hearts to care for others and journey with them in their struggles as opposed to condemning them for their points of view.
And so, we pray.
Lord make us instruments of your peace. Make love our aim and teach us that your way is a way of reconciliation. Help us to join you in the middle of the uncertainty of life and their live with confidence in what you are doing in our lives.
For you are the way the truth and the life, you are perfect, but we are imperfect, and we seek your love, your mercy and your grace. Help us to be loving and merciful and gracious too.
Amen.
