“Correction Is Good”

“I have a question for you…… who likes to be corrected? Don’t be shy, raise your hand……okay. Now who likes to correct someone?  Come on now raise your hand. Hmmmmm….in our room of 1,000 people, I only see one person with their hand up. It’s the short guy in the back, with a little mustache and his arm raised in a salute, shouting “Sieg Heil”. Yikes, I think I recognize him. 

Let’s be  honest, most of us don’t like to be corrected and we don’t like to correct anyone.  It seems that  if you actually “like” to correct someone, you may be a bit odd…. and you probably don’t have a lot of friends. “Oh rats here comes ole Dave, he’s going to tell me my tie’s crooked, my shoes aren’t shined, and I have bad breath, ….. quick hide under the table.” 

But in truth, “giving and receiving correction” is a good thing. If you’re driving from New Jersey to California, and you stop for gas while heading south on I-95 outside of Miami, FL. it would be a really good thing to get some correction. Correction enables you to get closer to obtaining your goal. If you and I want to grow in holiness, then at times we need correction. It’s not a bad thing, it’s a good thing. If we know someone else wants to grow in holiness, we should be eager to provide them with correction when needed. 

Well if that’s true, why is it usually so difficult to give and receive correction? In today’s gospel from Matthew 18, we read how the Lord said to his disciples: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you……”. 

Why is this difficult to do? Are we afraid that our admonition won’t be well received, and maybe our feelings will be hurt? Well to be honest that may be true. If we don’t want to endure the drama, we may decide to kick the can down the road ….”let someone else handle this, it’s not that big a deal.”  Yet let’s think this through; the essence of the issue is to try and help a friend, to get them back on the right track. If I love someone, I want to help them; if I want the best for my friend, I will be willing to correct them. It takes love to correct someone, and Christian love will give us the energy to actually do it. 

Giving and receiving correction can build unity. As we see the fruit of correction, gratitude should rise to the surface. Hopefully I will realize that you actually took the time and effort to correct me, to help me do better….so, thank you.” We should always thank those who are trying to help us by teaching us and by correcting us when needed. We should thank parents, and teachers, and coaches, and friends as they care enough to try and help us. Correction is meant to build up, to build precious unity. 

Jesus ends this section on correction by talking about the fruit of unity. “Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Mt. 18:15-20) And that is very good news.