Observation: Paul's letters can be very hard to follow, especially in small chunks out of context. But in this short selection, Paul is reflecting on how some of his fellow Jews have not been faithful to God. He says "although everyone is a liar, let God be proved true." If human behavior is the only indicator of what God is like, then we're in a lot of trouble.
Application: The fact is, the biggest thing driving people away from religious faith is the behavior of religious people. I can make speeches all day long about how the church is an imperfect place full of flawed human beings. I can make the argument that there are hypocrites everywhere, not just here. I can talk with perfectly sound reasoning and logic, telling you that how churches treat people really has no bearing on whether the tomb is empty. But frankly, that won't convince someone who's been hurt.
Some of the most powerful evangelists I know are people who have fallen in love with Jesus despite the Church, rather than because of it. Who have the strength to claim space even when the Church makes it difficult. These are folks whose faith moves mountains. These are the leaders we need. But they are rare. And because of that...Jesus just wants us to be better. Not perfect (as if we ever could!) but better. Not "works righteous" or self righteous, but a little more cognizant of the massive debt of sin and harm that was forgiven us on the cross...and maybe willing to let go of some debts and grudges of our own. Some folks will still be hurt by the Church--it is full of humans after all--but maybe with a touch of grace, we can give the Holy Spirit more to work with.
Prayer: God, change us with your grace. Remind us we were debtors, so we may forgive the debts of others. Amen.
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