A Lenten Word - I Will Never Forget You

Homily for Wednesday in the Fourth Week in Lent

A Lenten Word – I Will Never Forget You

Some passages from the Scriptures are just more memorable than others. The passage that we read from the prophet Isaiah today is one such text. Whenever I read this particular text, I am reminded of the incident in Oklahoma City by the American terrorist Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. I will never forget Timothy McVeigh’s mother pleading for her son’s life with the words “my son is not a monster.” There is simply no way to break the bond between mother and child.

“Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you. (Isaiah 49)”

Just as a side note, I should mention that as a former high school teacher, I remember catching students who had written test answers on their hands. So even God used his hands as a crib sheet.”

The Hebrew word for compassion is “rahamin,” the plural form of “raham,” the word that means “womb.” God is frequently using the word “rahamin,” in passages that are self-revelation. Though God often is called the Father, it is clear that God is also the Mother.

In one of my Bible study classes that was exploring the parable of the prodigal son, a participant made the observation that the boy’s father had taken on the role of the mother. At another time when I was explaining this parable, I asked the question whether or not the participants could forgive a child who had done the same thing. The response I got was, “Where was the mother in this parable?”

As we attempt to be mindful of God’s love for us today, let us dwell with God’s words: “I will never forget you.”