[Jesus bend down and wrote with his finger in the dirt…He straightened up and said, “The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone.” Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt.] Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. John 8:9, The Message
When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. John 8:9, NRSVue
Perhaps some wisdom comes with age, or at least a healthy dose of self-reflection. Maybe that’s why the oldest among the rock toting crowd were the first to step back from their violent intent. It’s a gift to be able to step away from harming another, from using another as a means to a questionable end. They took the gift Jesus offered and others followed suit.
I’m now in that same category – elder. Along with the creakier joints comes the freedom to turn back, to turn away from a wrong step down a questionable path. There isn’t quite as much at stake as far as my ego is concerned in admitting to an error in judgement.
There’s an added bonus: stepping back and rethinking a harmful act or wrong move is also a teaching moment for the younger ones who happen to see it.
So true–with age, we tend not to be as self-protective anymore. As you say, we don’t have to defend the ego so much. I saw that so clearly in my Dad, who was quite rigid and conservative and confident of his rightness… and then as the years went by, he became less sure of all that. I saw that and it was powerful.
Letting go is powerful, especially when we see it in a father (or mother). I’ve found that people either let go of those things that make for a smaller life, or they double down…Thanks, David!