God of Second Chances

Jesus told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, “See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?” He replied, “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.” 

-                                                                                                                             - Luke 13.6-9

I have never considered the parable of the fig tree as a reflection of God continually giving us another chance to experience love, mercy and being drawn to fuller life in God. I can now, thanks to the wisdom and final words in a homily of Br. Regi, consider this a beautiful insight, even a change of heart. I always considered this parable harsh. However it really is about mercy, about abundance, about a second (or 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th…) chance. It is about the opportunity to grow, the opportunity to bear fruit, to become our best self. God desires that more than anything and the fig tree reminds us of that.

I believe too often we think of second chances after something bad has happened or we have done something wrong. I now see this parable as a reminder that second chances come when our first chance has been stunted, detoured, never launched properly or wasn’t planted in healthy soil. That is what is so amazing, our God loves to lavish us with every opportunity to be the child of God he created us and loved us into being (and this includes second chances).

The world is the one that says, “This tree bears no fruit, cut it down.”

The world says, “You don’t fit the right mould, you are not this or that, 

you are not instant enough for us.”

The world says, “Get rid of it, it is a waste of time, move on, you are done, finished, 

who cares?”

However our God of Second Chances, through Jesus, is the one who is like the gardener and says, “Let it alone, I will dig around it, nurture it, I will ensure it bears fruit.”

Jesus says, “I see potential each day, I notice a bud of transformation, a bud of the deepness God planted starting to burst, a bud of trust and promise.”

Jesus says, “I give you a second chance because you are valued, loved and precious, you are well and good and I came so that you may have life, and have it to the fullest.”

The God of Second Chances desires nothing more than for us to realize how loved we are and how God will never tire of saying over and over and over (second chance, 3^rd, 4^th, etc…) to us, “You are worth more than the world, continue to bear good fruit!”

God, the Great I AM,

God of Second Chances,

You love us more than anything,

help our unbelief that we may

embrace your boundless love and mercy.

You continually nurture us,

help us to trust your goodness

that is growing in us and

calling us to life and to bear fruit.

You are the God of Second Chances,

because your love is infinite,

help us to see and embrace the graces of your love

in the second chance we receive,

so in turn we may share our blessings

to help others in their second chances to grow, 

to nurture others and embrace the new reality given to us all

in the grace of our second chance (our redemption).

Thank you for this gift,

may we continue to see where and how we bear fruit,

where and how second chances impact our life,

so as to praise you more and more. 

Amen.

Here is to a mid-Lenten week full of second chances.