There is always more to the story.
+ Something to consider when someone’s words or attitude feel attacking and unwarranted.
+ Something to keep in mind in a world filled with “click-bait” where both sides of the aisle bend truths to fit narratives favoring their own agenda.
+ Something to remember when another’s actions, even those objectively wrong, cause me to bristle and jump to harsh judgment and condemnation.
There is always more to the story.
I find this mindset especially helpful when I notice my attitude toward others lacking the love and mercy Jesus calls us to in today’s Gospel (see John 8:1-11).
At first glance, the story of the woman caught in adultery seems like an open and closed case. According to those gathered, she broke the law, the customary consequence was stoning, and that was what they had come to do. “Justice” was to be served.
And yet, rather than go along with the status quo or righteously refuting the law, Jesus is found calmly writing on the ground.
But we are never told what He writes. And I wonder if this omission of information could be a prompting to remember the importance of asking questions and uncovering more of the story.
What did Jesus write? Why was only the woman charged for a crime that takes two people? And in pairing this particular Gospel with the story of Susanna found in the Book of Daniel (see Daniel 13), could the memory of a woman falsely accused and sentenced serve as another example that there is always more to the story?
We don’t know the answers to all of these questions. We don’t even know if the woman was actually guilty or just another pawn in the Pharisees’ constant attempts to test Jesus.
But perhaps there’s intentionality in those mysteries too. Maybe the question we should be focusing on is who is deserving of love and mercy.
And through His words and actions Christ makes this clear: everyone is.
"'Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.’” (John 8:11).
There is always more to the story. // Sarah RoseClick to tweet
Do you have a favorite version of Stations of the Cross? This one is beautiful.
Sarah Rose is a small town Ohio girl who is obsessed with all things Ignatian and is passionate about faith, social justice, and the intersection of the two. She left Ohio in 2012 and after a year of service in rural Alaska, earning her Master of Divinity in California, and working at a Connecticut High School, is officially back in Ohio serving as a university Newman Campus Minister. When she’s not working, she enjoys contagious laughter, clever puns, and finding the good in all things. You can find out more about her here.
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