another lectionary thought; 23A and 24A, Matthew 18
Our lectionary skips over the beginning of chapter 18, which seems to me to have key relevance whenever we talk about forgiveness:
"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
Gordon Atkinson wrote beautifully recently in the Christian Century about his experiences on a mission trip, how the dependence of being a guest in a foreign land reminded him of childhood. I can relate, since our trip to China was -- for me as a leader anyway -- largely about relinquishing control and learning to trust my hosts, even when I didn't know what was next on the agenda.
I wonder if there is a connection between the childhood necessity of depending on others and the readiness of children to forgive. My children are certainly as easy to upset or offend as anyone. They get angry with me, with each other, with their father all the time. And yet every offense, even the ones I mull about for days, feeling like a bad parent, is quickly forgiven and forgotten not long after.
Forgiveness gets a lot messier, a lot harder as we get older. We refuse to give people the benefit of the doubt, we remember past disappointments, we worry that we are "giving up too much" of ourselves if we let something go.
Oh to be like a little child again, quick to forgive and ready to embrace.

