From the Pulpit: Steer yourself to God’s grace, mercy

I have a tendancy to take wrong turns. I have never had a very good sense of direction, and have often found myself disoriented and lost somewhere. This was especially a problem when I lived in a couple different metropolitan areas. I would often take a wrong exit, or turn the wrong way. Sometimes I knew immediately that I was lost. Other times, I would drive for miles before realizing my mistake. This was before Google maps. Now, I still distrust the maps, and end up where I shouldn’t be.

In this season of Lent, we are given an opportunity to reflect on the wrong turns that we take – not only in our cars, but in our lives as Christian people. We are reminded of who we are: sinners. Bound to make wrong turns –  over, and over, and over again. 

Admittedly, it’s not the wrong turn that is the hardest part of the situation. It’s the turning back, returning to the right road – and the right direction. If you’ve taken the wrong exit off the interstate, you can’t turn around and go back the way you came. You need to find a new way to get back on to the interstate. 

The same is true for our wrong turns in life. Once we’ve taken that wrong turn, it’s not possible to backtrack and go back to where we were. We can’t go back to before the wrong turn was taken. Things have changed. People have been hurt. Still, we are called to return to God. Repent, physically turning away from the wrong turn we have made.

The prophet Joel writes about the call to return to our Lord. “Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.”

I find that particularly now, in this time, people are unwilling to admit their wrong turns. People all around me will keep driving the wrong way and try to convince others that it’s still the correct direction. 

I wonder at how this world might change if we all took a step back and admitted our wrong. And together, returned to God – knowing that God’s grace still covers us and mercy abounds.