"Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt...who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency?" Mi 7:18
Sometimes it is almost impossible to appreciate the depth of God's love for us. Not only does the prophet Micah remind us that God does not remain angry at us, He delights in freeing us from our sins. Perhaps because we know ourselves so well and remember those times and people who, as our twelve step friends remind us, "live inside our heads rent free," it is overwhelming and wonderful to think of a God who forgets. Last week a friend reminded me of this when she repeated a phrase she had heard at a workshop. "It's easy to forgive and forget as long as the person we are forgiving doesn't forget that we forgave them."
This same theme continues in today's gospel when Jesus tells the story of the forgiving father who, after his son left home early and squandered his inheritance, catches sight of him "while he was still along way off." Apparently, the father, even after years of waiting, does not lose hope and looks for his son's return each day. God, the gospel suggests, is like this for us. We have only to turn towards "home" for God to come rushing out to embrace us. God does not focus of our misdeeds and sins, but on our willingness to repent.
Today, turn to God with all your heart.
What is God's mercy like for you?
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