What Goes Around Comes Around
Monday of the Twelfth week in Ordinary Time
My dear encountered couples:
The Law of Gravity is taken for granted. It keeps both our feet on the ground, keeps us from flying off the earth towards the moon, and it measures our weight. Our scales are based on the pull of gravity. And so, if I weigh 200 pounds, it doesn’t enter my mind to change the pull of gravity so that I only weigh 130. It does enter my mind to go on a low-fat diet. You and I cannot change the law of gravity. We can change our eating habits.
Jesus talks about the Law of Retribution. Like the law of gravity none of us can change the law of retribution. “The measure with which you measure,” says Jesus, “will be used to measure you.” In popular language he is saying: WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND! And there is nothing we can do to stop it from happening.
What does that mean? It means that how we treat other people we too can expect in the future to be treated in like manner.
Say uncharitable things about others, and you can expect sooner, or later uncharitable things are going to be said about you. If you cheat other people, someday you will be cheated. If you lie, someday you will be lied to. Rashly judge and you will be rashly judged. Embarrass somebody, intentionally hurt somebody, misuse your authority, neglect your duty, steal something and it someday somehow will all come back to you – like a boomerang.
That’s the Law of Retribution. Nobody can avoid it. It’s a law of God. If only we would become convinced of that law like we are convinced of the law of gravity maybe we would sin much less. But then I still weigh 200 pounds, don’t I? Maybe it’s because I just don’t care.
