I have heard Priscilla Hays say these words to me for more years than I can remember. And I don’t know if she knows how important those words are, and how close I hold them to my heart. Her words have been transformative to me, and they remind me, each day that I walk into the St. John’s office, how this place is different than other places. We are about forgiveness.
When I forget something, or mix up my dates on the Eucharistic Minister’s schedule, or my child, a scheduled acolyte, is missing from church that morning, I have Priscilla’s forgiving smile, and we move forward to find a solution together. But this is so much more than finding a substitute acolyte for that morning. It is a reminder to me, to us, that we start from forgiveness, from understanding, from a recognition of our common humanity, our common frailty. Guilt is removed from the equation, so forgiveness and work towards a solution becomes our new mission.
Every time Priscilla says this to me, it takes my breath away. Because I need reminded of this so often. Because I mess up a lot. But more than that, I hear her voice in my head as I wander through my life. I need to remember, “We are all about forgiveness.” Because we mess up—a lot. Especially when we are learning and growing. And families mess up—a lot. Especially when we love each other a whole bunch.
And that is what Jesus asks of us. To love each other a whole bunch. And to begin with forgiveness. We have to be all about forgiveness, because we will mess up, and we need to love our neighbors anyway. We need to love our neighbors because we will mess up; we need to love our neighbors because we need forgiveness.
Priscilla begins each of her interactions with forgiveness and love. What a gift for all that cross our threshold.