clothe the naked, part 2

Of course it was their fault, even though Adam and Eve did their best to blame it on each other, the snake and eventually God.  It was their fault.  They had heard God's commands, they had balanced the snake's arguments, they had eaten the forbidden fruit.  No question, it was their fault.

But does it make any difference?  When you encounter Adam and Eve, hiding behind the bushes does it really matter that they brought it all on themselves?  When you see the homeless person settled in under the 690 bridge, does it matter that they would be alright if they only took their meds?

Does it really help to heap guilt on top of the misery they are now experiencing?  Sure we speak the truth about how it all happened, but once that's done, now what?  Do we throw them a box of chicken nuggets wrapped with a bit of self-righteousness when we know that in just an instant we could be them?  A piece of our DNA that leaves us battling a disease; a company that embezzles and steals our retirement; the early addiction of smoking that now crushes our bodies.

If we were in the business of finding fault we would be well occupied by simply looking in the mirror.  If we were held to the judgment bar for the actions of our lives, big and small, would we stand?

Are we called to adjudicate the guilty or to show compassion to the neighbor?

When you are 'naked' and living on the street you don't need a stranger to tell you that somehow, somewhere something went horribly wrong and you probably had a hand in it.  Is our approbation the only gift we have to offer the vulnerable ones?

As we stand before God and confess that we are broken people who have helped to break others, we are simply acknowledging that no matter how bad it looks, the truth is a lot worse.  Our confession is God's invitation to lay down our frightening need to find someone else guilty so we can hide from our own guilt.  Confession is God's gift to us - so we can dredge up the realities of our lives in a place where we are conceived, nurtured and covered by God's eternal love.

If we are truly blessed, we will become the naked ones before God - shedding our pretenses, our protections, our lies.  Then we will know the joy of being clothed by our Lord, called into life, lifted into the light.

If we are truly blessed, we will become the naked ones.
Now that's something to consider.