2 Sam 15:13-14; 16:5-13 / Mk 5:1-20
Facing up to our mistakes and our sins is generally slow and strenuous work. It’s not unlike the process of dying. And what often comes first is a period of denial: “I didn’t do anything wrong; besides, I didn’t really have any choice.” This stage of self-deception may persist for quite awhile.
Meanwhile, there are the unhappy consequences to be lived with, and they can make us not only sad but angry, resentful, and blaming: “It’s all his fault, and it’s just not fair.” Many people never get beyond that stage.
In today’s Old Testament reading, David shows us what the next stage should look like. He admits his sin, owns his guilt, and acknowledges that the terrible things that have happened are his fault and his alone. When his guards propose to kill a man who is cursing David as he is fleeing, David responds, “Let him alone and let him curse.” He prays for forgiveness, and the Lord forgives him.
The Lord will forgive us too, if we move past denial and blaming and instead own our guilt. It’s much easier said than done. But the alternative is to waste God’s gift of life, and that would be a tragedy indeed.
