07-15-20

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 15, 2020
Scripture: Acts 16:38-39
The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens; so they came and apologized to Paul and Silas. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city.

Thought for the Day: Paul and Silas had been beaten and thrown into jail, though it sounds as if they were not afforded the rights to which they were entitled as Roman Citizens. Now Paul hadn’t mentioned the important fact of his Roman Citizenship to anyone, but nonetheless, the magistrates were nervous once this news reached them. In response to their error, they did what any good person would do. They tried to resolve the problem by getting rid of the problem. This wasn’t a minor mistake. The magistrates, the representatives of the Roman legal system, had not only failed to protect these Roman Citizens from an angry crowd, but they tossed Paul and Silas in jail without a trial. When you make a mistake, a real doozy, what is your first reaction? Does your mind quickly process options for dealing with the mistake by getting rid of the mistake? What the magistrates did to Paul and Silas was serious, and there would have been significant repercussions for their blunder. With that in mind, why is it so hard to admit our mistakes and accept the consequences? Now in true confession, I have tried to distance myself from a number of mistakes in my own life. It can be frightening when we are held accountable, especially when it requires confession that exposes our failures. We are also surrounded, in both politics and business, by so many examples of those in power who refuse to take any blame for what they’ve done. We can bemoan this problem, or we can work hard to model what it looks like to name our mistakes and take responsibility. We do so believing that someone needs to set the example, and maybe it should begin with us…even when the implications of being accountable are not pleasant.

Prayer: Merciful God, even if it is embarrassing or will bring with it painful consequences, assist me in stepping forward and being accountable for what I have done, especially when my actions have brought discomfort to others. Amen.

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