I have spent days wrestling with these readings.  They are so rich and I believe have much to offer us.  I struggled because I think I was fighting against the Spirit on the direction the reflection was going to go.  My first attempt was total projection and would have taken pages to explain.  My second attempt was focused on the women.  Asking when and how do we feel like Susanna, falsely accused or the woman caught in adultery possibly guilty but not deserving death.  Both in a place of powerlessness.  As I wrestled with that reality in the stories and our world, it just got very messy and felt unfocused.  This morning though, I took the perspective of Daniel and Jesus.  The clarity that I felt about the simple message seems to be a direction I can write about.  This whole experience reminds me of praying the story of the prodigal son in Luke.  We tend to spend time with determining if we are the older son or the younger son, when the call is to be the father. 

I do believe we all have experience of feeling powerless, some more than others.  And we could even and should contemplate how we all hold power over others.  But the invitation of these stories is to be the one who brings light, healing and compassion.  Daniel does this by first listening to the voice within himself that said something is wrong here. “God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel . . .”  He listened to his interior voice and spoke up.  He was courageous and acted and argued for Susanna.  He advocated for her when she could not speak for herself.   Similarly, Jesus advocated for the woman.  First he saw the woman as a human being with dignity.   I imagine him looking into her eyes, truly seeing her, understanding her with just one gaze.  As he assessed the situation, he  responded to being challenged and the threat of violence not with violence but wisdom and finesse.  I imagine his writing in the sand was a way to calm himself, take a breath, gather himself before he spoke.  His words and lack of action not only freed the woman from her place of powerlessness but gave those who would throw stones something to consider if they were open to doing so.  He brought light and wisdom to the situation and gave all the opportunity for inner healing.

As we continue with our day, lets consider:  How are we called to bring light, healing, compassion and wisdom into our encounters this day?  How are we called to do the same into the larger world?  Where can we empower the powerless?