(inspired by Luke 18:9-14)
God make us right with you –
not right in the sense that we never do anything wrong:
we never cheat,
we never steal,
we never take part in adultery ….
not right in the sense that we earn our righteousness:
we pray out loud,
we fast,
we tithe on all our income,
we behave better than other people ….
right in the sense that we recognise how complacent we’ve become
about our religion,
and in our interrelationships,
that we don’t even see the sin in the way we look down
~ on those who are struggling,
~ on those who are different,
~ on those who don’t quite seem to belong,
~ on those who do things that we’d never do ….
right in the sense that as we stand in Your
holy,
compassionate,
healing,
forgiving,
embracing presence,
we feel unworthy to even look up at You
as we pray for mercy
and hear Your words:
“all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Amen.