Ash Wednesday Meditation

February 22, 2023

Reading: John 8:1-11

Is there a stone in my hand?

People were picking up stones.

I picked one too.

I looked up

Outside the temple

Was a crowd.

I looked again.

In the crowd was a woman.

What were these stones for?

They were to stone that woman.

Why did they want to stone her?

She is a sinner, she committed adultery.

And the law says she must die!

Oh! I sighed

So, it’s the question of control of her sexuality,

Question of power over the body of the other,

Question of freedom and its limits.

I looked at the woman,

She stood alone in the crowd of men.

Accused

Shamed

The Shadow of impending death looming large

I looked at the stone In my hand

So, this is for her

My mite in throwing at her,

My part in ensuring social order!

My part in capital punishment!

A sort of self-righteousness was filling me

I join the crowd.

Prepared to throw.

All was set.

But

What is now the delay?

O there is another person

Jesus

Sitting down

And writing with his fingers

On the sand.

The Pharisees and the Scribes

They were making their point.

Teacher, they said,

This woman

Pointing at her

Who was made to

Stand before all of them

Was caught in the very act

Of Adultery

They opened their law books,

Moses had said,

Such women

Must be stoned to death.

As I nodded

I also asked,

Isn’t there a larger plot to this

As they asked Jesus

Now what do you say?

Now Jesus was too clever for them.

He would not fall to the test,

And give them something,

To accuse him.

He continued writing,

With his finger

On the Ground

I looked at the stone again.

Ready to pelt it,

When others did.

And then

There was this

Soft yet strong Voice

Saying,

Let anyone among you,

Who is without sin,

Be the first one

To throw a stone

At her

Once again

Jesus bent down,

Wrote on the ground.

I looked at the stone,

And that was a moment

Of self-revelation

My self-righteousness

My sinfulness

My hypocrisy

My judgmentalism

My finding fault in others

My hand shivered,

And the stone in my hand.

And I heard,

Sound of stones falling

Feet retreating

One by One they were leaving,

And I looked back

As I joined

The retreating crowd

The stone still in my hand.

There was Jesus,

And just the woman

Standing before him.

I sharpened my ears,

As Jesus looked up at her

I heard him ask,

Woman where are they?

Has no one condemned you?

I sharpened my ears again,

To listen

If she said anything

And she did,

No My Guru

And now what!

I was curious,

What would Jesus say?

Neither do I condemn you,

Jesus said.

And the rest I thought was for me,

Go your way,

He said

From now on

Do not sin again.

From the Omega Point

There was the Alpha Point

From the end

There was the new beginning

No more condemnation

But a new found freedom

A second chance

A new door opening

A new path visible again

I looked at the stone again,

Threw it far away.

And resolved,

I will go my way

And will not take a stone again

To throw at Another

Whatever be the compelling reason.

Vinod Victor

February 22, 2023