Jesus never condemns sinners. In today’s Gospel he
refuses to condemn the woman, caught in adultery, to
the death penalty as was demanded by Old Testament
law (the man would have been subject to the same
law by the way!). Once again the Pharisees are trying
to trick Jesus. We may wonder what Jesus was
writing on the ground as they continued to question
him, but he delivers the winning statement in this
debate and the condemners are forced to leave one
by one.
We live in a stone-throwing society which cares little
for the circumstances that cause people to make
wrong choices. We want someone to blame, and the
sooner the better. Those who accuse others often
do so from a lack of self-knowledge and laziness,
because it is very easy to be negative. We have all
had a part to play in creating climate injustice, but the
blame game won’t solve the issue. We need to be
proactive and challenge complacency on this issue
wherever we see it. We make mistakes but we can
always start again. When we relate compassionately
to those who are in difficulty we can rediscover our
common humanity.
"Yet all is not lost. Human beings, while capable
of the worst, are also capable of rising above
themselves, choosing again what is good, and
making a new start, despite their mental and
social conditioning … No system can completely
suppress our openness to what is good, true and
beautiful, or our God-given ability to respond to
his grace at work deep in our hearts. I appeal to
everyone throughout the world not to forget this
dignity which is ours. No one has the right to take
it from us.
Laudato Si’, 205
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