5th Sunday of Lent
Isa 43:16-21
Phi 3:8-14
Jn 8:1-11
“If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
In today’s hyper-connected world, it is not uncommon for people to air their complaints and grievances online. This is especially the case when it comes to grievances about others. It is not uncommon at all to read social media posts about someone behaving badly in public, complete with photographs and videos of the offending person. This could range from a motorist driving dangerously on the highway, to someone making offensive comments on public transport; among countless other examples. The post could have been published by someone directly affected by the bad behaviour, or even a bystander.
In most instances, there would have been no attempt to remedy the situation in real-life. Rather, the first instinct when faced with a conflict is to whip out one’s smartphone to take a photo or video, followed by a self-righteous post on social media condemning the other person’s behaviour. Herein lies the problem — in making such posts, we often engage in calumny against someone who may not be aware of our post and hence, is not able to defend him/herself or present his/her side of the story. In our self-righteous zeal to ‘punish’ wrongdoing, we have inadvertently committed a sin ourselves.
This contradiction is not unique to our modern condition. In today’s gospel reading, we hear the scribes and Pharisees demanding that a woman be stoned to death for committing adultery. While adultery does indeed go against the commandments, so too does murder. The scribes and Pharisees are therefore hoping to correct the sin of adultery by committing a far graver sin of murder. Jesus is, of course, aware of what the scribes and Pharisees are asking Him to permit, which is why He responds by saying “if there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her”. Jesus knows full well that all of us are sinners, and that no one but God should judge another for his or her sins.
Certainly, life in society is not without friction and conflict. But before we condemn someone who may have offended us in some way, it is useful for us to consider two questions. First, have we ourselves also sinned or caused offenses to others? Second, in shaming the other person (whether in real life or online), are we ourselves committing another sin? If we are all sinners, then it would be good for us to refrain from committing additional sins of unforgiveness or calumny. Before we cast our digital stones and arrows, let us remember that just as we seek God’s forgiveness for our sins, so too must we extend our forgiveness to others.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Jacob Woo)
Prayer: We pray for the humility to accept our own sinful nature and the generosity to always forgive anyone who may commit any offense against us.
Thanksgiving: Lord, we thank you for continuing to forgive and love us, even as we frequently make mistakes and lapse into sin.
OXYGEN 
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