Waiting for Repentance

Some words need no definition to understand their meaning. “Repentance” is not one of those words.

Let’s talk about what repentance is not. It’s not beating yourself up with guilt. It’s deprivation or negative self-talk. It’s not a public declaration that you are a lowly worm, unworthy of the dirt you crawl in. It’s not a simple, “Sorry,” and carrying on with your day, either.

Repentance, or metanoia, in Greek means a total change of mind. A course correction. A change of direction. It’s realizing you were going down the wrong path and starting down a new one.

It involves the recognition of wrongdoing and a change of behavior and mindset. It’s a terribly difficult, rare, even precious thing, especially in today’s world.

It can feel like the world is careening down a slippery slope to certain destruction. We see the rise of AI, the lamentable entrance of “double tap strike” into the political lexicon, carbon dioxide levels increase, billionaires launch rockets, and arbitrary arrests happen. If things continue on their current trajectory, one imagines a world with robot overlords, the wanton destruction of civilians, the erosion of civil liberties, sea level rise, and the like.

I hate to break it to you, but this is nothing new. Forty years ago, many people feared mutually assured destruction as if it were a matter of time. Twenty-five years ago, we saw Y2K as the end of civilization. There have always been wars, diseases, social unrest, and the like.

And throughout these turbulent times, everyday people and creation itself have called out for repentance. For something to change. With all of creation, we say, “We are waiting for things to change.”

Repentance is not something on our spiritual to-do list. It’s not “turn or burn,” but rather, repentance is a gift from God, the turn of a page from death and destruction to life and healing. God is turning our world around, slowly but surely, and that includes our very own souls.

We repent because God has changed us with God’s love. To ask for forgiveness is to believe that there is someone to forgive and that we are capable of change ourselves. It is to place ourselves within the wider world and to hope for a better future for everyone, ourselves included.

So, believe and repent! But do so knowing that it’s not something you do in a vacuum. God is turning the world around, you included.

While things may seem to be headed to destruction, God’s ultimate promise is in our ultimate destination. God promises a world where everybody has what they need and where death, violence, and greed are no more. Despair does not take hold, because God promises us a better future.

Repentant people look, act, and feel different than those just simply following the stream. They are part of God’s repented world order, living with hope that things will change and that there are better days ahead. Repentant people feed the sick, share their possessions, and join in community with hope for the days to come. Repentant people live in God’s future as if it is already here and now, and God makes that future better through them.

At St. Stephen’s, we confess our sins and celebrate the gift of repentance. We examine ourselves for where we have done wrong and commit to a better way. We offer teaching and instruction and practice reconciliation in all we do. We welcome the stranger in the name of peace. We feed our neighbors, sure of God’s abundance. To come to church is to surround yourself with the work of God’s vision.

So, yes, we are waiting for cosmic repentance. We’re waiting for God to turn the world around. But right here and now, you can make a difference by living into God’s gracious reality. What are you waiting for?