Wednesday of Holy Week
God has given me a well-trained tongue…and opens my ears that I may hear; Isiah 50
The one who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will hand me over. Matthew 26
Today’s gospel from Matthew retells the story we had yesterday from John’s Gospel: Jesus is celebrating the Passover meal with his disciples and says, “…one of you will betray me.”
Betrayal comes in many forms from many directions.
Sometimes we are betrayed by those we love or who love us; sometimes we are betrayed by strangers when they cut us off on the highway without thinking of the danger they represent.
So much of literature is tied into betrayal – from the Homer epics through Shakespeare to modern plays and music. We humans betray one another – in thought, word, and deed.
Betrayal may be the harshest human experience to forgive. We become hurt, furious, we want to hurt back. We rarely use a “well-trained tongue” when confronting it. We rarely listen to the inner voice that reminds us we are safe, to forgive, to move on. Instead we hold on to the betrayal as if we are justified in punishing ourselves as we punish another.
“Forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Today, in your Lenten reflections and in preparation for a new birth into light, you may want to take some time to list the betrayals others have done to you that still elicit anguish or anger, and listen to your Spirit voice as you see those names. Can you forgive? Can you release the anger or rage or fear against that experience or person?
Are you able to move clearly and securely into your own resurrection?
janetsunderland.com 
Forgiveness can be very hard . There was a good program on PBS recently on forgiveness I tape these programs and watch when I can so I’m not sure of the dates. One segment was on the murder of the 6 Amish girls in Pa in 2006 and how the Amish community in their grief offered forgiveness to the man and his family who killed their daughters,
My favorite folk singer John Mc Cutcheon wrote a song about this incident .
I’d agree. I can’t even focus too much on the exhilarating – gets me too off balance. From which I hit bottom. Ouch! So I boggle along in the middle as much as I can and hope each day for a little stabilizing. If you please….
Thanks for the post!
Thanks, Sue. I appreciate the link!
Feeling safe seems to be the key to being able to deal with so many struggles. I know I’m never at my best when I feel unsafe–it’s hard to forgive when we feel unsafe, and, sadly, that seems to be way too often. It seems the world is spinning on a wobbly axis much of the time, and change is flying at us constantly. On good days all the excitement feels exillarating, on not-so-good days, it just feels threatening–always a challenge to keep more focused on the exillarating–or figure out a way to shelter ourselves at time so we can regroup.
Wonderful reminder for introspection and personal accountability!
One of my favorite “tools” for the exercise of forgiving betrayal is the Cathartic Letter.
Consider writing a confidential letter, preferably by hand for that hand-eye dynamic, to clearly outline what was said/done that hurt.
In the letter, express your understanding of your own as well as the other’s parts in this drama.
Be prepared for some deep feelings as you literally get it off your chest and put it down on paper.
Finally, burn the letter and let those heavy feelings go up in smoke.
ahhhhh…breathe.
What a great exercise. Thanks Valorie!