WAIT FOR GOD'S GREEN LIGHT
Timing, tact,
tone of voice, facial expressions - all these help in giving proper direction
and a right path for others. Best of all is to keep in mind the Golden Rule.
I
read a short story recently that I would like to share with you called "A
Loving Correction." It happens on a
busy corner in New York. A burly, efficient, Irish cop is directing traffic.
Trucks, cars and people swirl around him. Suddenly he spots a pedestrian
starting to cross the street on a red light. With a whir-r-r of his whistle and
upraised arms he stops everything and strides over to the offender to discover
that he is a fellow Irishman, fresh from the sod. Calmly but firmly the cop
explains, "Wait a minute; wait a minute. Red is not your color to walk.
Wait for the green light and then start across." With a sheepish grin the
offender steps back on the curb, watches the red change to amber or orange, and
then starts out as the green light appears. Instead of walking straight across,
however, the Irish pedestrian swings out close to the Irish police-officer and
mutters as he passes, "You sure don't give those darn Orangemen much time
to get across."
This
story may help us apply what Jesus tells us in today's Gospel: "If your
brother sins against you go and tell him his fault, between you and him
alone" (Mt 18:15). Sin, or a troubled relationship here means, not so much
a personal offense against you, but un-Christian behavior that might bring scandal
or pain. To correct or help others is a responsibility of some people, like the
police officer in our story, like parents/guardians, Church ministers/leaders,
a teacher, a coach, etc. One problem is how to do it. Our little story gives us
some hints. We need to stay positive. The Irish cop did not emphasize so much
the wrong of crossing on the red light, but the need to cross on the green
light. He did not shout it for everyone to hear; he told the offender quietly
but firmly. He told him what to do as well as what not to do.
Timing,
tact, tone of voice, facial expressions - all these help in giving proper
direction and a right path for others. Best of all is to keep in mind the
Golden Rule. Offer the correction to your spouse, one of your children, a
co-worker, a chance acquaintance or a long time friend, just as you would want
him or her to offer a loving correction to you.
In
pointing out the errors and faults of another we should emphasize that the
fault is not so much an offense against you, as it is an offense against the
love of God and the love of neighbor. A persons fault may displease you but
more importantly, it displeases our heavenly Father.
As
Jesus mentions, you may have to call in one or two others to back up your
correction. Jesus even talks about the extreme situation where a person will
listen to no one. Then tell the Church or the group authority. If that doesn't
work then bless them and keep them in your prayers. That is all you can do. We,
as a Christian people, have a responsibility of giving loving correction, and
then we also have to be accepting of correction or help in mending our own
relationships. It takes humility and it takes honesty to accept it. To offer it
and accept it requires God's help which is offered to us at Mass and by turning
to God in prayer.
In
the Responsorial Psalm, we pray, "If today you hear His voice, harden not
your hearts" (Ps 95:8). We gather in Jesus' name to celebrate our
relationship with God; to praise God; to thank God; to worship God. If we have
something that needs to be corrected in our lives, like a relationship that
needs healing, or some other thing in our lives that is in the way of our union
with God, let us remember that God's life is of love. In order for us to
experience His love more fully, we need to always keep in mind that every life
is sacred and we need to care dearly for it and each other.
Wait
for God's green light. Then go ahead and offer corrections - with love; and
accept them with love.