Day 241, Evening
Today’s evening meditation is available below in audio and script formats. The audio version is also available for free download on the player.
Reading
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
—Saint Francis of Assisi
Commentary
There are times when past mistakes swim into our vision and do their best to consume us in guilt or regret. At such times it is essential to turn all our attention outwards, away from ourselves.
Analyzing our mistakes and developing a guilt complex benefits no one. If, when you were in Milwaukee, you happened to say something insulting about your girlfriend’s dog, it is not necessary to go to Milwaukee and find your old girlfriend or her dog and make amends. Every dog you treat with kindness will be a proxy for that dog. In this way, if you have treated a particular person badly, even if you can no longer win that person’s forgiveness, you can still win the forgiveness of yourself, of the Lord of Love within, by bearing with people who treat you badly and doing your best not to treat anyone badly again. Whatever we have done, we can make amends for it without looking back in guilt or sorrow.
Quiet
As your day draws to a close, spend a few moments in silence and stillness. As you do, ask yourself, “What do I need to forgive myself for today?”
Podcast Feeds
Abbreviations
BC The Belgic Confession
CAC The Center For Action & Contemplation
CD The Canons of Dort
CIB Church In Bethesda Prayers
DZ - Donna Z.
HC The Heidelberg Catechism
MAO - Michael A. O’Sullivan
NT The New Testament
OT The Old Testament
RP - Ryan Phipps
WC The Westminster Confession
WLB Words To Live By
WLC The Westminster Larger Catechism
WSC The Westminster Shorter Catechism