Lent with the Early Church Fathers Day 9

Day 9

Lent with the Early Church Fathers

A daily post from Tom Bandy

Based on Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers (Eds. Christopher D. Hudson, J. Alan Sharrer, and Lindsay Vanker: Hendrickson Press, 1999) 

Evaluate Daily 

Athanasius 

“Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” Saint Anthony believed this verse applied not only to wrath but to all the commandments. The sun shouldn’t go down on any of our sins. For it is important that neither the sun nor the moon can condemn our evil acts or thoughts.  

In order to be pure, it is good to hear the apostle Paul and keep his words. For he says, “try your own selves and prove your own selves.” Therefore, every day we should consider what we have done that day and night. If we have sinned, we must stop. But if we haven’t sinned, we must not be proud. Instead, we must live in goodness without being negligent.  

We must not condemn our neighbors or justify ourselves “until the Lord come, who searches out hidden things.” For we often ignorantly do things. The Lord, however, sees everything. Therefore, leaving judgment to him, we must have sympathy for one another. We must bear each other’s burdens. But we must also examine ourselves quickly to improve the areas in which we are lacking. 

TGB: It is very hard for even the “best” Christians to truly forgive those who have done us harm by word or deed. Perhaps, before lifting this heavy weight, we can build up our strength by lifting a less heavy weight. If we cannot forgive, we can at least empathize with the weaknesses of others, and in so doing surrender the moral ambiguity to God’s judgment.