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OUR FAITH



Frequently, the Holy Scripture of the Old Testament calls repentance as “return to God”. For example: “Return to the Lord, your God, people of Israel. Your sin has made you stumble and fall” (Hosea 14:2); “If you and your descendants will turn back to the Lord … then the Lord, your God, will have mercy on you” (Deuteronomy 30); “Turn back to Me and I will turn to you” (Malachi 3:7). Commenting on the latter text, the Midrash¹ renders following illustration in the form of a parable. A king had a son, who committed a grievous sin, and was exiled to a far country. After some time the king began to yearn for his son, and sent a messenger to him saying “return to me”. The son replied “I cannot return, for the way is too far”. Thereupon the king sent a messenger back again: “Do not fear, but start on the journey and come as far as you are able. I will come the rest of the way to meet you”.

The story indicates, that repentance is not just a psychic re-orientation on the side of man only, but also something God does. He calls back! He reaches out! He is willing to come even more than halfway to make it possible for the sinner to finish the whole way. However, it remains up to the person concerned to take the first and crucial step in the process of turning back again to God. The repentance of the Prodigal Son in the parable of Jesus shows us the same pattern. He expressed his resolution to return to the father in the words “I will leave this place” (Luke 15:18-19). Only thereafter he set on his journey, that would bring him mercy and forgiveness.

Many people tend to delay their resolution to return – sometimes indefinitely – and in doing so they contribute to a world of continued misery, injustice, violence and evil. Rabbi Eliezer, who lived in the first to second century of the Christian era, once said, “Repent one day before you die”. His disciples were astonished to hear that, and asked, “Who knows when he will die?” “All the more then”, he replied, “Let him repent today, for perhaps he will die tomorrow; then all his life will be spent in repentance”.

It is very important to realize, that repentance is also a RESPONSE to the calling of our human existence. In returning to God we return to our truest, deepest selves: the image of God in which we are made. Preferring and taking the road of sinfulness intentionally, does actually mean, that the person has no real existence, and it is better for him not to have been born. Shortly after the first human being had sinned, God asked him “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). The same question is addressed to each one of us continually: “Where are you in your life? What stage have you reached? What are you seeking? Where are you hiding?” Repentance is our response, our readiness and our attempt to enter into dialogue with the Eternal God, and answer Him, “Here I am … How I love to do your will, my God! I keep Your teaching in my heart” (Ps 40:8-9).

One of the greatest problems of our time is the progressive loss of the sense of sin, which leads to the dangerous attitude of acquiescence to personal and social evil, even among Christians. How often the lack of conscience denotes a weakening awareness of God’s presence. “If we say, we are without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not within us” (1 John 1:8). Nevertheless, it is clear from the Gospel, that in the depth of his heart man considers himself a sinner (John 8:7-9). When men and women do not realize their slavery to sin, they feel no need for repentance and logically do not tend towards it; they belittle the invitation of John the Baptist to conversion (Matthew 3:2), taken up by Jesus at the beginning of His preaching (Matthew 1:16).

Return to the Lord now and hurry up, for time is short. Remember, the Lord Himself is prepared to shorten the distance by coming to you. Only in union with Him and His Will, you will be truly human, and your life will contain the promise of perfection and the happiness you are longing for.
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¹ Midrash – any of the Jewish commentaries and explanatory note on the Scripture, written between the beginning of the exile and approximately 1200 AD.