From 2019:
“What is going on here?” the owner impatiently asked, raising his grey eyebrows and pacing back and forth. “I have been coming here for three years and not one, not one single time, has this tree produced any figs. I want you to chop it down now!”
But the gardener boldly suggested that the owner leave it for one more year, promising he would dig around it and fertilize it with manure.
With self-confidence, the gardener said, “Let’s give it another chance, another year.”
Don’t we all like people who give us second or even third chances? None of us are perfect and we all need at least a few second and third chances in life.
Getting another chance is “letting go” of the past, learning from a failure or mistake, accepting responsibility for the failure or mistake and focusing on what needs to change to avoid a repeat. In short, it is about positively adjusting your attitude, so you never give up. Oprah Winfrey is credited with saying, “If you are still breathing, you have a second chance.”
Think of the past football season and all the second chances that different players were given, or the awards season and all the stars who did not win but have a chance next year.
Winston Churchill is often cited as giving the shortest, but most powerful commencement address ever. The way the story is told, it was 1941 when he visited his alma mater, Harrow School, in London. Churchill stepped up to the podium and simply said, “Never give up.” The roar of the crowds made him pause before he could go on. He then repeated the phrase, “Never give up.” This time, the crowd went even wilder. Several minutes later, he delivered the line once again, but this time with even more vigor. “Never give up!” Churchill exclaimed, then sat down. The best speech in history would be passed down for generations.
Yes, the story probably got a bit embellished over time, but Churchill’s message was clear. I’m sure the graduates never forgot his speech, and hopefully, they never gave up.
Success is the ability to go from one failure to another and never give up.
Today’s first reading from Exodus gives an example of how God never, never, never gives up. God revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush and called him over, asking Moses to remove his sandals from his feet as he was on sacred ground. Moses hid his face as he was afraid to look at God since he had killed an Egyptian who had severely beaten up a fellow Israelite. But God never gives up and, in this case, gave Moses a second chance with the opportunity to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and to the Promised Land.
In the gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the barren fig tree in response to people asking His opinion about two very different incidents. One dealt with human evil, Pilate killing some Galileans. The other was a natural disaster in which eighteen people were killed by a collapsing tower. The people wanted to know if these things happen because of sinful lifestyles. Jesus had dealt with this question countless times before and was consistent in his reply that the notion of human tragedy is not related to sin.
Pilate’s killing the Galileans is a result of Pilate’s free will to choose good or evil. In the case of the collapsing tower, it is the consequence of physical laws.
Unfortunately, some Christians, when trying to explain why tragedy or loss occurs, can say the worst things. For example, where do Christian people get this stuff that “God intended it?” God allows it, but intending it? No.
There are even insurance companies that use the phrase: “It’s an act of God” to describe a natural disaster. The acts of God are love, compassion, mercy and forgiveness.
To say that suffering or evil is God’s will is just too simplistic and an insult to those who suffer.
Nevertheless, when tragedies occur, questions surface. Questions like: “Why does God allow this to happen?” or “If God exists, why is there evil?” or “What kind of a God lets this happen?” or “Where is God in all of this?”
We need to remember God gave us free will. Our God is loving and merciful and He is always with us.
Fortunately, we have Jesus the Gardener who intercedes for us and wants to give us another chance. We need second chances because we are imperfect and we live in an imperfect world.
We hear shocking stories of violence, oppression, poverty, racism and abuse almost daily online and in the news. We can’t stop every bad thing from happening, but we can become much more loving, forgiving and merciful in our response to people in need.
In our own families and communities, we all know people who are grieving after the death of a loved one, or have a serious illness, or have experienced a divorce, job loss or personal tragedy. They too need our love, support and mercy.
As we sang in today’s Psalm: “The Lord is kind and merciful.” We can be merciful because our Lord is merciful to us.
Mercy allows us to begin anew after a set-back. Mercy helps us to never give up.
When I feel like the barren fig tree, I am glad that I know the Gardener who will work with me and grant me the nourishment and mercy to never give up.
Never give up as God never gives up on you.
For the Third Week of Lent, we encouraged you to Reuse. Reuse the mercy that God extends to us. Reuse a kind and gentle smile to be merciful to others. Be courteous and provide encouragement, as often as needed, and to everyone. Of course, reuse our water bottles, plastic bags and more to show care for God’s creation.
We Care for God’s People; We Care for God’s Creation.
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