Let me start this article off with a big “I’m sorry.”
As I read the last article, I noticed I had made a glaring mistake in the telling of the story of Jesus and taxes.
I had erroneously said the Sadducees and the Pharisees were questioning Jesus. It was not the Sadducees, but the Herodians, a totally political group in the court of Herod.
So, if you get a chance to reread that article just replace Sadducee with Herodian, and it will not only make sense, but be Biblically accurate.
Mistakes can be quite a nuisance. Even though mistakes can cause many problems, no one goes out of their way to make a mistake.
If we made mistakes on purpose, they would not be mistakes, right?
I wish I could say I have only made a few mistakes, but I can’t.
My wife, children and friends can let you know that I am not perfect, and I tend to ask forgiveness more than 7 X 70 times, (you can look for that in the Bible).
Sometimes, it seems that when I try to do the most good, that is when I make the most mistakes. Like everyone else, I am a flawed individual.
Yet, thanks be to God, I am loved.
Yes, even with all the faults and goofs of my life, (and some have been doozies), I have a loving, caring father who forgives and loves and encourages me through good and bad.
Friends, we live in a time of uncertainty, and everything we thought we knew seems to be coming into question. We have never been here before.
This generation has never dealt with a pandemic like this before. The political and civil upheaval that is taking place is unprecedented. We are all in a new territory, and it isn’t likely to get any easier.
With all that being said, I simply ask that you and I take it easy on each other.
Mistakes are going to happen; we are going to goof up. There is only one person who has ever been perfect, and he willingly offers forgiveness. Let’s give ourselves and each other a break.
Let love be our guide (Ephesians 5:2). Let’s remember the two great commandments, love God and love your neighbor. If we make those two commandments our priority, then we can overlook mistakes and faults in ourselves and others.
We are only human; we are not perfect. We will make mistakes. We will try and fail.
This is the human condition. But, we are also loved. We are offered grace. We are offered forgiveness. We are offered salvation.
If God is willing to give us all that, then we are not mistakes, we just make them.
You are a beautiful image of God; let that image shine through in all you do, and try not to be so hard on yourself. Mistakes happen, but so do successes. You are a blessing. Remember that!
I can’t wait until I can see you in church.
Rev. Kent Wilfong is the pastor at the United Methodist Church, Doniphan/Neelyville.