It's Never Too Late!

One Friday afternoon a physician found herself stopped at a busy intersection. She watched as an aged man made his way slowly across the street. He had a walking cast on his left leg. His left arm and hand grasped a crutch. In his right hand, he clutched two plastic grocery bags. His journey across the intersection was slow. Just as he crossed in front of her vehicle, the orange hand flashed on the crosswalk light. He panicked. His grip on the grocery bags failed. The bags fell to the ground spilling his groceries on the roadway. The physician took pity on the man. She put her car in park and dashed out of her vehicle.

She picked up his groceries and helped him into her car. She took him home. A flight of outside stairs led to his apartment. Even after his leg healed, these stairs were going to be a challenge for him. While she had only met this man moments before, she was moved to promised to take him shopping the next Friday. This was the first of many Friday shopping trips.    Sometimes she brought her teenaged son with her.

Over the weeks and months that followed, she learned that the man’s name was Lars and he was 87 years old. Lars and his brother came to Canada from Norway in the 1950’s. He and his brother had a falling out. He couldn’t even remember what the argument was about. His brother returned to Norway. His brother was the only family he had left. He confessed that he and his brother hadn’t spoken in over 45 years.

The physician asked Lars if he wanted to talk to his brother. His response: “Even if my brother were still alive, its just too late. Too much time had passed.” He couldn’t even conceive how he would begin the conversation.

The physician was saddened. She shared Lars’ story with her son. It broke the teenager’s heart. However, he was also inspired by the story.

The next Friday the physician and her son picked Lars up and helped him with his groceries like every other week. As they were leaving, the physicians’ son confessed that he had been on the internet and had found a telephone number for a man with his brother’s name in the town in Norway that Lars had come from. The teenager asked Lars whether he wanted the number. To the doctor and her son’s surprise, Lars said yes.

Right then and there Lars dialed the number and waited as the phone on the other end rang. They heard a voice on the other end. Lars replied in Norwegian. The two watched as Lars spoke and then listened. They watched as his face filled with emotion and then say a few words. They watched as tears of joy flowed down his cheeks. The good Samaritans quietly slipped out.

The next week Lars informed his two friends that he and his brother had made up. From then on Lars and his brother spoke weekly. Through telephone calls, cards letters and photos, Lars reconnected with his brother and connected with his brother’s family. A great weight had been lifted from Lars’ shoulders. Peace and a new beginning came into his life.

What a great story. It’s a true story. While I never met Lars, I officiated at his funeral, as the doctor and I attended the same church. (I was in seminary at the time).

Lars’ story points to a great reality. There are many out there who have parted company with their relatives. Some have forgotten the reasons for the schism. Some may remember the reasons for the schism, but, like Lars, believe they had waited too long. Too much time has passed.

There are many out there who have parted company with their Heavenly Father. They too believe it would be nice to come together again, however, they too believe that they have waited too long and too much time has passed. They believe it is too late to talk to God. Too much has happened in the intervening years. God will not have anything to do with people like them. Are you one of those people?

The Scriptures teach us that it is never too late. It is never too late to talk to God. The account of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) teaches us how God can work to heal rifts between people. Zacchaeus was a Jewish man who collected taxes for the occupying Roman Empire. There were many rifts between Zacchaeus and those he collected taxes from. There were too many for him to count. Yet, when Zacchaeus came into Jesus’ presence, he was transformed. He came to see life in a whole new way. The encounter with Jesus caused Zacchaeus to declare: “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” (Luke 19:8).

In response Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:9-10)
Jesus had given Zacchaeus the grace to repent, to acknowledge all of the rifts that he had caused, and the desire to make amends. Jesus gave him the courage and the desire to call all he had wronged, all with whom there was a rift to come so that amends could be made.

Through the proclamation of the Gospel, Jesus constantly reaches out to those who are separated from God and from one another. The proclamation of the Gospel will expose the rift and the pain that has ben caused. The Gospel cuts us to the quick, causes heartfelt contrition. The Gospel declares forgiveness and a new beginning. The Gospel inspires the desire for dialogue and reconciliation.

We are all like Zacchaeus and have many rifts. The good news is God will not leave us there. I pray Jesus will come to our homes and work the transformation he worked in Zacchaeus in each and every one of us.

6th Sunday After Pentecost

It's Never to Late