麻豆约拍

A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Mark Clavier, canon theologian for the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon.

Good morning. This past week, we witnessed a political second chance: Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister only a few weeks after losing that opportunity to Liz Truss.

We like to believe that second chances are either deserved or undeserved. We seem to assume that merit determines their goodness. But that鈥檚 actually not how second chances work at all.

Someone can deserve a second try and yet squander it entirely. Or someone may be entirely undeserving and yet still amaze everyone with what he or she does with their second chance. Indeed, second chances, like forgiveness, can have a far greater impact on those who don鈥檛 deserve them than on those who do, like criminals who go on from prison to dedicate themselves to their local community. Life is complicated that way. We never really know if the second chance was really deserved until we know what its consequences are.

In point of fact, we probably never live entirely up to the second chances we鈥檙e given. In that sense, we never really deserve them. This is where forgiveness comes in. Jesus repeatedly taught his followers to forgive, not because others may deserve it, but because we ourselves always stand in need of forgiveness, of a second chance. So, even when we disagree when someone else is forgiven or given a second chance, perhaps we can at least be mindful of the times when we鈥檝e been forgiven and be thankful.

Let us pray.
God of second chances, who has commanded us to forgive even as we are forgiven, help us and others so to make use of second chances that we may give no cause for regret; through Christ our Lord. Amen.