Heaping Coals


Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. ~ Romans 12:9-21


Far from being the pious injunction of a Utopian dreamer, the command to love one’s enemy is an absolute necessity for our survival. Love even for enemies is the key to the solution of the problems of our world. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.



I've always loved the imagery of heaping hot coals.  Maybe that seems odd to love it, but it's just so visceral, that I know exactly what Paul is describing here.  He's actually quoting Proverbs as well - there also is talk of heaping hot coals on an enemy's head by giving them water to drink when they are thirsty.

I mean, I've felt that heat of "burning coals heaped" on my head.  Has there ever been a time when you knew you were in the wrong and someone shows you grace and mercy and in that moment you just know exactly what Paul is talking about?  I know have a tendency to flush bright red from my neck to my chest - as if hot from those coals! - when I've been embarrassed or when a wrong of mine has been put on display.

There is also a kind of heat that is felt when you are the one showing grace and mercy.  When you repay a wrong with a right. When you quench the thirst of the enemy.

That heat radiates from the heart. It's the kind of heat that heals. It's the kind of heat that can heal your enemy and can heal you.

 It can be mortifying when we are caught being wrong and are shown mercy. But after you give the mortification over, you are left with the the relief of grace.

 And when the heat of forgiveness radiates as mercy from us, it takes away the power of anger.  The healing heat of heart-given mercy spreads and cools anger and wounds.

What do you do with a toddler throwing a tantrum - a wild, whirling dervish of a tantrum?  You pull them into your arms and let the mercy and grace flow until slowly the tears give way to peace.

 Loving our enemies, forgiving wrongs...they aren't for the faint of heart. But as MLK asserts, they are the only thing that can truly heal the ills of the world.
Patient and loving Lord, throw your arms of grace around us when we throw our tantrums large and small.  And help us to do the same, stopping conflict always with love and mercy.  Amen
Thoughts for engagement:

- Think of a time when it was hard to ask for forgiveness. To receive it? And a time when it was hard to give it? What was the end result of those experiences?
- What are your favorite stories of forgiveness in the Bible?
- Read Chapter 25 of Proverbs where Paul gets his reference from.

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