March 18, 2015

“Life is a journey.  The trouble is that we accumulate a whole lot of baggage along the way.”
The Rev. Steven R. Ford, Assisting Clergy, St. James the Apostle, Tempe, AZ

This is a sentence written by Fr. Ford toward the end of an article he wrote in The Living Church entitled “Excess Baggage.”

His article discusses the similarities between those who travel and our own journey through life. There are two types of travelers, he says: those who attempt to bring everything they might possibly need for a trip and stuff it all into one or two very large suitcases; and those who bring only the bare minimum.  He contends that this second way is more biblical (“Take nothing for your journey . . .” Mark 6:8-9; “One's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions,” Luke 12:15b) as well as more liberating, allowing one the freedom to be spontaneous and the opportunity to see and do more rather than being overly tied down to one specific place.

He eventually gets around to pointing out the similarities between physical travel and spiritual travel. “The weighty baggage within all of us includes resentments and jealousies that are useless in successful living.  Our baggage contains things like envy and pride, which get in the way of our dealings with others as well as with God . . . Our journey is made difficult by our 'carrying heavy burdens'.”

What he's getting at here is the issue of forgiveness.  Too often forgiveness is presented as something we “must” do, or as a facade behind which offenders hide, transferring the blame to those offended. And yes, Jesus did tell us that we needed to forgive those who harmed or injured us “not seven times, but seventy-seven times” (Matt. 18:22); so there is a gospel imperative to forgive.  The more I think about forgiveness, though, the more I conclude that it's not for the benefit of those who offended me, but it's for the benefit of me.

By not forgiving, we set ourselves up to carry a whole lot of excess baggage.  By not forgiving, we allow ourselves, spiritually and emotionally, to be held hostage by the acts of another.  Forgiving is not forgetting – we would not allow a person to be treasurer after committing financial improprieties, but we would allow them to remain in the church.  Forgiveness allows us to realize we are carrying too much.  Forgiveness allows us to unpack and get rid of those burdens which weigh us down. Forgiveness allows us to travel through life lighter, allowing us the freedom to not be tied down by specific sins committed against us.  And forgiveness allows us the opportunity to establish reconciliation.

We are almost through our Lenten journey.  Let us remember that Lent is not only about confessing our sins to God, seeking repentance and making a right beginning, but that Lent is also about how we offer forgiveness to others.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.  As we forgive others, so will God offer forgiveness in the same measure.

As Lent winds down, may you discover the joys of traveling lighter.

Amen.