Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

The spillway of Lake Mount
Saint Francis after a downpour.  

Lectionary: 292

But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go.
For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you.
But if I go, I will send him to you.
And when he comes he will convict the world
in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation....

 A fter the Lord's resurrection and ascension, we find no stories of grief about his absence, nor nostalgia for the days when he walked like any man among his disciples. The Church hasn't time for those luxuries, nor any need for them. 

We have the Advocate whom Jesus has sent; and he directs our energetic, evangelical mission to the whole world. There will be grief, of course. But that is mostly for the sins of our past, and the graced opportunities we missed. We may be paralyzed with regret with those memories until we have studied the scriptures and found ourselves within its pages. 

"We have sinned, we and our ancestors have sinned;" and those ancestors include the blessed and beloved disciples of Jesus. There we are among them even as they realize their foolishness and learn wisdom from the Lord. 

In today's gospel Jesus also describes our mission as Church with an uncomfortable prediction, "...when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation." That we pray devoutly, both in common and alone, on Sundays and on weekdays; and that we do not indulge in many practices we find abhorrent. If the world regards them as normal and acceptable, we do not. And that disturbs some people, even those who consider themselves inclusive and tolerant. 

We seem to convict them of sin; and yes -- in a certain sense -- we do. We cannot bless abortion, suicide, or nuclear arms; we cannot abide racism and hostility to migrants. Because we love the sacrament of marriage, we are not amused by bizarre sexual practices. We might not stand on soapboxes in public streets to condemn the world's sins, but our avoidance of such behavior is obnoxious. 

Wisdom 2 describes this unhappy reaction: 

The wicked say, "Let us lie in wait for the righteous one, because he is annoying to us;

he opposes our actions,

Reproaches us for transgressions of the law

and charges us with violations of our training.

He professes to have knowledge of God

and styles himself a child of the LORD.

To us he is the censure of our thoughts;

merely to see him is a hardship for us...."

The Divine Author accurately describes the mindset of the wicked because we know our own sinful thoughts. Because we have found forgiveness in the Lord, and have accepted his forgiveness, we can have compassion for the unfortunate souls who are so tormented.

Corrie ten Boom, in her book, "A Hiding Place," described her sister's response upon witnessing a woman being beaten by a prison guard. She said, "That poor woman!" But Corrie realized her saintly Betsy was feeling compassion for the guard! That poor soul is driven by fear, hatred, and Satan's own violence. 

The guard was not unlike many racist, xenophobic Americans who would shut the borders of the United States to immigrants, and deport everyone who makes them feel uncomfortable. Because we have embraced our own feelings of discomfort, shame, remorse, and regret; and have accepted the mercy of God, we understand. 

We're not even surprised when, like the jailer in today's reading from Acts, they attempt suicide. But there is no need for that! And we respond like Paul, "Do not harm yourself! We are here for you!"