Second Thoughts

In the First Letter of John, we read about an old commandment, a word that has already been heard. But then the author has second thoughts: “On second thought, the commandment that I write you is new.” We have all probably had the experience of hearing or reading a Scripture story many times. The Christmas story, for example, may be almost memorized. (Years ago my five-year-old nephew could recite several verses from Luke’s Infancy Narrative—those in the Peanuts version that Charles Schulz had the courage to include.) Yet there comes a moment when we think, “I never noticed that before.” That second thought is new. Or maybe we are new. Our spirituality may have become deeper. Our understanding of Scripture may have risen to a new level. Maybe God was tapping at our heart in a way we never experienced before. Thank God for your “second thoughts.” Thank John for his second thought on the commandment of love.