As the pastor began to speak the absolution,
I stood up and
interrupted the liturgy.
“Anyone who looks into their hearts
and acknowledges what they find there
also finds the power
to forgive
themselves.”
To the woman on my right
I said,
“You can still make love
without your breast.”
To the man on my left,
“You can still sculpt
without your eyes.”
Over the uncomfortable
hubbub
of parishioners,
I saw the pastor
stare at me
and nod.
Image: “Chancel,” St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Mansfield, OH. This was my father’s first parish, from 1950, the year of my birth, until 1955.
