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Love of enemies is a core teaching of Christianity. It is one of the most well known of Jesus’ teachings: “Love your enemies.” [Matthew 5: 44] But who are are enemies? Perhaps you’ve seen the current bumper sticker: “When Jesus said, ‘Love your enemies’ he probably didn’t mean bomb them.” We tend to think of our enemies as those who are enemies of our nation. We think of enemies as those not from our group or tribe or nation who present a threat to us or who we believe hate us. Who do you think of as an enemy?

We can also look at enemies as people who are a personal threat to us. Someone we don’t get along with. Someone who seems out to get us at work or at school. Maybe it is a rival for a love interest. Maybe we think of an enemy as someone who may perpetrate a crime against us. We’re afraid of being held up or attacked or robbed. So, we may think of an enemy in terms of a personal external threat. Can you think of someone that you might consider a personal enemy?

In Psalm 25, the writer prays, “Do not let my enemies exult over me.” We can think of enemies in the ways we mentioned above. But we can also think of enemies as those internal character traits and behaviors that work against our best interests. We can reflect on our enemies within and trying not to let those enemies get the best of us. Here we may think of things like selfishness, or prejudice, or addiction. We may consider how we let out harsh words that hurt others. We may think of opportunities, abilities, and talents laying dormant and not being put to full use. Maybe an enemy would be laziness, or lack of initiative, or apathy. Can you think of any enemies within you?

Lent is a season to free ourselves from the grip of our enemies, however we may perceive them. It is a time to limit if not eliminate the power that we let our perceived enemies have over us. It is a time to think about how to disempower our enemies with the power of love. It is a time to reflect and consider how we can follow the way of Jesus loving ourselves, others, and, yes, our enemies.

Prayer
Jesus taught us to love our enemies. That can be very difficult. Whether the enemies are outside of us or within us. But we know that the power of love is stronger than the power of hatred and violence. May we have the strength and trust to embrace the freedom of love so that we are not controlled by our enemies or by fear. Amen.

When we put money in the bank, or in a credit union, we are placing our trust in that institution. We do this trusting that our money will be properly handled. When we try a new recipe, we are putting our trust in the source of the recipe. We are trusting that whoever shared this recipe has tried it and knows that it works and that the result will be favorable. When we buy a car, we are putting our trust in the manufacturer and the seller that the car will run as expected. When we wait for the city bus to take us somewhere, we are putting our trust in the bus system to have the buses running. Each and every day, in many ways, we are putting our trust in people and systems and institutions. We trust every day.

In Psalm 25, the writer declares, “O my God, in you I trust.” Lent is a time to consider what it means to put our trust in God. Putting our trust in God might mean not putting our trust in some other things. It might change how we look at our circumstances. It should affect our entire outlook on life. Does it?

Jesus is one we can look to for putting his complete and total trust in God. Consider what that meant for him.

“O my God, in you I trust.” It is a simple plea, yet potentially life changing. Think about your life. Think about today. How did you put your trust in God today? How does putting your trust in God shape your world view? Your self concept? Your values? Your behavior? Putting our trust in God frees us from putting trust in things which are not steadfast, which do not prove true, which fail us. Even church and political involvements can let us down. Can you think of a time that your trust was betrayed and that your trust was broken? Trusting in God gives us strength to deal with those disappointments. Is there anything worthy of our trust save God?

Prayer
There are so many ways that we dispense our trust. May we learn to trust God first, and then to know that everything else will fall into it’s proper place. Placing our trust in God frees us from ultimate loyalty to things that disappoint. Trust in God never disappoints. O God, in you I trust. Amen.

When is the last time you sinned? Today? Yesterday? In the last 5 minutes? While the question is simple, the answer might not be so easy. We don’t want to sin, do the wrong thing, make a bad choice, hurt someone in some way, but we do. And the consequences of our actions may not only adversely effect others but ourselves as well. Yet it can be hard to put a finger on sin, unless we have stolen something or cheated on a test or committed adultery or some other obviously culpable offense.

Yes, we know that we sin, yet, who among us would think of hurting God? Sinning against God? Violating God? While we may have very different images of God, still that is almost unthinkable. We don’t want to work against God, however we may conceive of God.

In Psalm 51, there is a phrase, “Against you, you alone, have I sinned. . .” The Psalmist is addressing God. The implication is that all sin is against God. While at first that may sound drastic, with deeper thought, maybe we can see the insight.

Our tradition tells us that all human beings are created in the image of God. We bear God within us. So, a wrong to another person, is a wrong to the divine image within that person. A sin against God. A wrong to ourselves, as bearers of the divine imprint, is, again, a sin against God. This hearkens back to Jesus’ teaching, that whatever you have done to the least of these, you have done unto me. While the specific context refers to good deeds, such as visiting the sick and feeding the hungry, we can infer the reverse. That whatever harm we do to another, directly or indirectly, we do to Jesus. So it is not as farfetched as it first sounds that all sin is against God.

Our tradition also teaches that God is responsible for Creation. The earth, the universe, the cosmos, all that is, is the self-expression of God. So to abuse or misuse or harm any part of Creation can be seen as a sin against God. In addition, to harm the earth is to diminish the ability of the earth to provide for all of our neighbors. It is to deprive others of clean water, safe air, arable land to grow food, etc. So violating the earth can be seen as a way that we ultimately harm ourselves and our neighbors. Sinning against God, again.

This brings us back to the central teaching of Judaism and Christianity. Love of God and love of neighbor. And the golden rule, a teaching in every major world religion: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Anything less is a sin against God.

So this idea that all sin is against God, is not as drastic and farfetched as it first sounds. Instead of rejecting this idea as hyperbole or ancient poeticism, I hope it will speak to us in fresh ways about our connections to all of life, to one another, and to the sacred.

Prayer
We do not want to sin. We do not want to cause harm. We do not want to defy God. May we choose to use the freedom of our faith to see the implications of all of our behaviors, our choices, our lives. This unflinching honesty will lead us to seek the reconciliation we need from God and one another, so that we can truly be free. Amen.

No one is perfect. We all know that to be human is to be imperfect. It is simply part of our DNA. When you do a multiplication problem on a calculator, you are going to get the right answer. When you check the spelling of a word on a word processing program on a computer, you are going to get the correct spelling. When you toss a jar of coins into the coin counter at the grocery store, the count will be right. Machines are going to be accurate. There will be no computational error.

While we humans can design and create these machines that are virtually error-free, when properly functioning, we ourselves cannot be error-free. We make mistakes: In mathematical computation, or typographical errors, or dialing a wrong number, or misreading instructions. We make mistakes which is one of the unique characteristics that makes us human beings.

Our mistakes, our errors, our wrongs, are not only of a technical nature. We also commit errors of judgment. We choose behavior inconsistent with our stated values. We lash out in anger, We neglect an act of compassion. We let ourselves be governed by false ideals. We take the easy way out instead of doing what we know is right. We bury hopes and dreams. We allow ourselves to be ruled by selfishness. We tell a “white” lie. We cheat in some way when we know we won’t be caught. We live at the expense of others. We choose expediency over nonviolence. We justify injustice.

Church is a place, a context, safe space, if you will, to acknowledge our failings, our shortcomings, our sins. It is a place to admit, with the psalmist, “I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” [Psalm 51:3, New Revised Standard Version]

I do not believe that the church should judge people in a condemnatory way. I do not think the church should rail at people to make them feel dirty, bad, and evil. Jesus never did that. I do not support the use of the concept of sin with the threat of eternal damnation in hell as a way of controlling people and eliciting “good” behavior.

We need the church to keep us grounded in what is good, right, true, loving, peaceful, and just. The church invites us to know our highest good. The church encourages us to be aware of a far larger reality than immediate petty aims and interests. The church calls forth our best selves.

The church also celebrates our precious, mysterious humanity, This involves the awareness that, at times, we fall short, we err, we sin. The church helps us to see our sins and our transgressions for ourselves. The gospel gives us the gift of forgiveness, for ourselves and others. It reminds us have an understanding spirit toward other humans who also inevitably err and are not their best selves at all moments. In the New Testament, the concepts of forgiveness, healing, and salvation are intimated related. So, when we acknowledge, “I am aware of my faults, and have my sin constantly in mind,” [Psalm 51:3, The Inclusive Bible: The First Egalitarian Translation], we are on the way to forgiveness, healing, restoration, and wholeness.

The Lenten season is a time to reflect on our faults and sins. It is a time to free ourselves from the accumulated burden of sin, error, and bad judgement. Lent is a time to embrace the healing power of forgiveness and mercy, for ourselves, others, and the world.

Prayer
We give thanks for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and for the church which keeps the gospel alive. We are grateful for the healing power of forgiveness which is a core teaching of our faith. We are grateful that the church encourages us to learn from our past sins and errors and to find new life through forgiveness. Lent is a time to embrace the freeing love and mercy of God. Amen.

In Psalm 51, traditionally read on Ash Wednesday, there is the verse, “Create in me a clean heart.” What makes a heart dirty? Or maybe we can think of it as tarnished? Or maybe marred? What damages or taints our hearts?

Well, with the physical heart, one answer is stress. Many heart problems and heart conditions, including high blood pressure, are associated with stress. As an antidote to this, sometimes we think about balancing high stress with de-stress, and then become compulsive about meditation, or yoga, or exercise, or other things that reduce stress. But as we schedule our de-stressors and try to fit them in and rush to make sure we are de-stressing, it is almost as if the relief becomes another stressor!

Another source of stress is multitasking. Experts say that focussing on one thing at a time is less stressful and more productive in the long run. Doing several things at once can mean doing nothing well, and even creating more problems. For example, if you are trying to text while driving because you are in a hurry, and then hit the curb and blow a tire and have to change it, far from saving time, you have wasted time, and money.

This gives us insight into having a “clean” heart. Some scholars say that the meaning of clean is really akin to the meaning of pure. Pure implies completely what it is supposed to be. No additives or impurities. When we think of having a pure heart, we can think about a heart that is devoted to one thing. A heart that is not distracted or diffused or fragmented. The Psalm invites us to devote our hearts purely and completely and undistractedly to the God of steadfast love and mercy. This is an invitation to center our hearts on the love of God and that alone. That is to be our focus. God is to be at our center filling us with love.

This kind of focus reduces and eliminates distractions. When we concentrate on love as the center, the sense of being fragmented fades. Our sense of purpose increases. We may, in fact, end up being busier and having more going on when our hearts are given to God alone. Look at Jesus, the peripatetic healer/preacher always on the go. But when our hearts are focused, we will not feel torn, and divided, and broken. We will feel purposeful and centered.

How do we do this, this creating of a pure heart, a clean heart, a whole heart. focused on God? We can cultivate this by consciously increasing our awareness, our consciousness of God. This can happen through regular prayer, through reading of scripture, through participation in worship, and other disciplines that help us stay tuned in. It takes regular attention. Try to think of one thing that you can work into your daily routine to help stay centered on God. As your heart becomes more pure or clean or whole, what you do may not change very much, but how you feel about it may change a lot.

Prayer:
This Lenten season, we seek the freedom which comes when we center our lives in God. This decreases the pull of other forces and influences in our lives. In this way, we hope to feel less fragmented and more whole. We do not want to be slaves to our calendars, our bills, our volunteer work, our families, our jobs, our schoolwork, our bills, our clubs, or even our churches. May we focus on the center, God’s love, and then everything else will fall into its proper place and we will truly be free. We see this in Jesus. May we cultivate it in ourselves. Amen.