UNFORGIVABLE  SIN 

As priest, in black suit and white collar,

I often get collared by someone with

a question. They spot me at a wedding

or a parish picnic. They approach.

They ask,  “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure,” I answer. “What’s on your mind?”

They say, “I have often wondered. Is there

such a thing as an unforgivable sin?”

I have been asked that at least a dozen times.

And believe it or not, I have an answer.”

My answer: “With God no. With us, yes.”

With that, they wrinkle their face

till it’s in the shape of a question mark.

Sometimes I add. “Oh, I know - it’s in

the Bible - that there is such a thing as

an unforgivable sin.” 

Sometimes I even add, “Do you want 
to know the Bible text? It's Matthew 12:32;
Mark 3: 29;  and Luke 12:10. 

If I say that much, I add, “Everyone,

Matthew, Mark, Luke, -  Martha, Mary 
and the woman at the well - along with 
Peter and Judas - everyone…. Everyone wonders if  something they said or did 
in their life will be forgiven. Good news: 

it can  be forgiven - 70 times 7 times."

I might continue: "Forgiveness by God, 
not the problem. Forgiveness by ourselves 
or worries whether others will forgive us - 
now that can be a hidden  problem."

And I add: "Tell that to the heresy court if I’m

turned in for what seems to be the opposite

of what’s in the scriptures. And don’t forget

to add in my favor: Psalm 130: 8, 'For with 
the Lord there is kindness and with him 
there is fullness of redemption and he will redeem Israel from all their sins.'”

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018
Painting, "At Eternity's Gate"
[1890]  by Vincent Van Gogh

February 17, 2018

Black History Month Thought for today: 

“I  am not tragically colored.  There is no great sorrow dammed up in my soul, nor lurking behind my eyes…  I do not weep at the world - I am too busy sharpening my oyster knife.”  

Zora Neale Hurston [Picture on top], from “How It Feels to Be Colored Me,” 1928

Homily

February 16, 2018

Reflections

BODY AND SOUL

Well, that’s one way of looking

at all this: body and soul.

Some people are only body - no soul.

They play the piano technically flawless.

And some are all soul - rolling waves of

rhapsody in blue or jelly roll dark red.

I’d prefer music that is pounding or an

apple pie - sloppy with overhanging crust.

Body and soul and let’s add divinity… Which

is more you? Do you have any clue about you?

 © Andy Costello, Reflections 2018

February 16, 2018

Black History Month Thought for today: 

"Real  integrity  is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not."

Oprah Winfrey

CONVERSATIONS 

There are conversations 

and there are conversations. 

It is good if we have at least 

one good one a month.

Some folks have only one

good conversation in a lifetime.

Go for at least 100 great surprise moments

of connection and conversation with others.

"How’s it going?" "What’s happening?"

"What you too?"  "Me too - about a year ago."

Outside of church on a Sunday morning

talking about stuff much better than the sermon.

In the stands with a guy my age while our

kids are playing Little League down below.

In a long car ride from Virginia Beach

with a niece to BWI airport in Maryland.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2018
Painting on top: Chop Suey [1929]
by Edward Hopper, 

February 15, 2018 

Black History Month Thought for today: 

“Anyone who has ever struggled with poverty knows how extremely expensive it is to be poor.” 

James Baldwin [1924-1987] 

(Fifth Avenue, Uptown. Esquire)