As you know, we have a talent show later today. And as you know, I like to sing. Well years ago, when I was teaching at Cathedral High School (I taught religion class to 12th graders) there was a huge fundraising event each year called ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK. They would bring in these big acts from the 50’s and 60’s like The Supremes, Little Richard, Frankie Avalon, Dick Clark, etc. And part of the fun was to have a group of us teachers do sort of a Talent Show bit and sing a few numbers. We were called “Preacher and the Teachers.” (I was the preacher). And various faculty helped out each year, but I was always the “preacher.”
In the final year of the event they decided to invite back all the teachers who ever sang for the “Preacher and the Teachers.” So I went back and we worked up this song . . . [SING REFRAIN OF ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK]. We had different teachers singing each verse, and I was the closer for the last verse and the big ending. Well, some of these teachers were so nervous, I mean I get it, singing in front of thousands of people. And the one teacher who I shared a microphone with, was really getting anxious. So he asked me to “count in” his part. “Sure,” I said. But when his verse came up (I think it was the 2nd verse . . . there were 5 verses), instead of just counting him in . . . . I just started singing my 5th verse (which was a huge mistake) and the band followed and they led into the big ending. And the crowd went wild and all I thought was “Oh God, what have I done.” For all those teachers who were nervous as heck, and had family and friends there to witness their big shining moment . . . and I blew it. They never got to sing!
I immediately started telling everyone, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” But to make it worse as the applause was going on and on, and as we were leaving the stage, the MC of the night made a big deal out of me being there . . . and called me out for a solo bow. And all I’m thinking is, “I really screwed up. I sang well and nailed the big ending, but I totally ruined it for those teachers.”
So by the time, I was taking my bows, the teachers had cleared out and all I could think of was telling them how sorry I was . . . but they left. Yikes, so I never got to say it.
Part of the power of forgiveness is for us to recognize when we’ve screwed up and to say, “I’m sorry” (which the servant never did in the parable Jesus told). For we can spend a lifetime making excuses, blaming others and never taking responsibility. But as Jesus said in the parable when we don’t own our mistakes or when we don’t forgive others . . . it will come right back to us, and God in heaven will treat us the same.
And here’s the interesting aspect, with all this forgiveness stuff . . . it applies to us as individuals and to us as a group, a community, a species, a collective body of people. For all of us are part of something bigger than ourselves. It’s this “collective body” that looks at our actions (like how we treat the environment, or how we ostracize a group of people, or aren’t consistent when we say we value all life) and this “collective body” also looks at how God moves through us, with us, in us. For we are graced by being together and we can do things that we can’t as individuals.
Let me show you . . . let’s sing together “Row, Row, Row your boat . . .” while covering your ears or putting your fingers in your ears. [We sing it all together]. Now try singing the same song with listening to people around: [We all do this together]
You can sing the song by yourself, although we were all over the place. but there’s a collective energy when we sing together or breathe together or be together like at a Fall Fest. For we are all part of something bigger than ourselves. We are part of God’s voice, we are part of God’s grace, we are part of God’s forgiveness and healing for the world. None of us deserves the life we have. It’s all gift.
In the first reading, the author talks about cherishing wrath. How about we cherish something different . . . like gratitude or joy or goodness? We don’t do it alone. Breathe and sing, and laugh and play today. For we are experiencing something bigger than ourselves we are here to love God (and live the Eucharist), we let God’s grace flow into so that we can have that grace flow out of us.