Soren Kierkegaard
The scribes and Pharisees
soon discovered her guilt,
which was indeed easy
since her sin was open.
They also discovered
a new sin,
one of which
they made themselves guilty,
when they artfully laid snares
for the Lord.
But Jesus bowed down
and wrote with His finger
upon the ground.
Why,
did He bow down?
I wonder.
Why,
did he write
with His finger
upon the ground?
I wonder.
Did He sit there
like a judge
who listens attentively
to the story of the accusers
and then
jots down the principal points
so he may not forget them,
and may judge strictly.
Was the woman's guilt
the only thing
noted by the Lord?
Or
did He write it down
in order to erase it
and forget it?
There stood the sinner,
surrounded perhaps by
those more guilty,
who loudly accused her.
But Love bowed down
and did not hear
the accusation,
which passed over His head
into the air.
He wrote with His finger
in order to blot out
what He himself knew.
For sin discovers
a multitude of sins
but love covers
the multitude of sins.
For by one word
from the Master
the Pharisees and the scribes
were struck dumb.
There was no longer
an accuser.
No one who condemned her.
But Jesus said to her,
"Neither do I condemn you,
go and sin no more."
For the punishment of sins
breeds new sins
but love covers
a multitude of sins.
