Giving and Forgiving

Beloved People of God,

Pools are amazing. There is something so refreshing and enlivening about swimming in a pool. The various depths make the waters accessible to young and old. Because the pool was intentionally designed, it removes the dangers of currents and debris. But pools are amazing for one particular reason. Without fail, any time families gather around the community pool, at some point you will hear a kid shouting, “Mom! Watch this!” Followed a few seconds later by a confirming, “Are you watching?” 

As kids, surrounded by family and friends, bounding in and out of the water, nothing matters more to us than to know our parents are watching the aquatic wonders we’re achieving! There is something so beautiful and pure about this. We want to share our newest discoveries, to have an audience of one, almost completely oblivious to everyone else around us.

What makes this even more amazing is the mother’s ear that hear the child’s call over all the other voices, over all the commotion and noise. Her ears are tuned in to the cry of her children. No lifeguard knows her son's and daughter's voice as well as she does.

In the middle of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6.1-15), Jesus tells us how we should practice our piety and give voice to our prayer. We don’t give to the poor to be honored by those around us. We don’t pray to be heard by the crowd. We don’t give to get attention from others. We don’t raise our voice to God to be heard by anyone else. No, we give to the poor before an audience of One. We pray to be heard by the One who is always listening. We care for the marginalized and disenfranchised because we want to be like our Father and know, like a child who calls out to her mother at the pool, His loving eyes are watching.

For His Name’s Sake,

Brett