John’s martyrdom is front and center in today’s gospel text. It’s actually one of the longer narratives in Mark’s gospel, the shortest one, and normally noted for its compact storytelling.

Knowing this sends a signal: PAY ATTENTION TO THIS. Stop a bit and consider. Christian people will soon celebrate holy week and commemorate the execution and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. But even before this, and long before the early church was scattered under persecution, we have a conniving and cavalier display of corrupt state brutality. A wilderness-dwelling, locust-eating preacher whose main theme was repentance and forgiveness is beheaded.

Why?

Because offering forgiveness is a coin with two sides. Offering forgiveness means pointing to sin so it might be repented of. Not all of us feel ashamed and move to repentance when we are called out, at least not immediately. Some of us move to anger and desire to exterminate the message, if not the messenger. We are afraid of losing what we have, especially if we have it because of the sins we intended, or perhaps were not previously aware of, sins we instigated, and perhaps even sins we inherited. The light cast on us when our sin is pointed to is not the light in which we want to be seen, and so we lash out, adding sin to sin.

But let’s not overlook this:

Force and forgiveness are not compatible.

As a person who embraces his forgiveness, living reactively and forcibly needs to stop with me.

Easy to say. Hard to do. Beautiful to accomplish.

-mlv

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My Executive Advising practice and its Maestro Suite of offerings grew my from graduate work in group process and long experience in facilitating complex decision-making with numerous Clients. I was already preaching weekly and did so for over thirty years.

The rhythm of considering a text and the congregation that would gather around it, seeking to grow individually and together, is like breathing. Inhale in study and writing (I wrote my sermons longhand for the most part—thirty notebooks full). Exhale in standing with a group of people, daring to have something to say which would invite all of us to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

The habit has not left me, and writing these occasional blurbs growing from times of study and prayer is a way I can exhale.

Thank you for joining me here.