Fifth Sunday of Lent, Cycle C. Today’s readings: Isaiah 43:16-21; Philippians 3:8-14; John 8:1-11

‘Cancel culture’ is a phenomenon afflicting social life and public discourse, whereby individuals or groups are ‘cancelled’ (i.e. ostracised) by the wider community for real or perceived wrongs. People have been turned into pariahs, with some even losing jobs, friendships and health for holding opinions at odds with present-day orthodoxy.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ 2020 book Morality

In his 2020 book Morality, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks describes cancel culture as a kind of vigilante justice; it follows no legal norms, lacks due process, and affords the accused little or no chance to present his or her case. Since it lacks impartial procedures for determining guilt or innocence (and the appropriate punishment), cancel culture merely becomes mob rule. “Once the mob has been let loose, it becomes difficult to distinguish bet­ween genuine cases of wrongdoing and accusations motivated by malice or revenge, or some other less than fully moral cause.”

Today’s gospel depicts an episode of mob justice that could easily have degenerated into the worst kind of cancellation: death. A woman caught in the act of adultery is brought to Jesus by a throng whose motivation is not to restore justice or to uphold the sanctity of marriage, but simply to entrap him. They hope his reaction will define him in one of two ways, both of them ruinous to his reputation: on one hand, he can dismiss their claim and appear contemptuous of the law of Moses. Alternatively, he can agree that the woman should be stoned, thereby wrecking his standing as a preacher of God’s mercy.

Jesus does neither; he acknowledges the reality of the woman’s sin but reminds her accusers that they too are sinners, and so in no position to be casting stones, whether figurative or literal. Shamefaced, the mob melts away, leaving Jesus alone with the woman.

The brief exchange that ensues is a masterclass of authentic forgiveness; whereas last Sunday’s gospel (the parable of the prodigal son) portrayed the theoretical aspect of God’s mercy, Jesus now displays this mercy in practice. He refuses to condemn the woman but gently sends her on her way, enjoining her to sin no more.

By pardoning the sinner without minimising the sin, Jesus shows that he is no purveyor of cheap grace; he does not belong to the “Uwijja!”, ‘anything goes’ school of moral theology. He knows the horror of sin better than anyone else, fully aware that the stones that were intended for the woman will soon be subsumed in the cruel instruments of torture and death that he will endure in his passion.

Bearing this in mind, his final words to the woman take on an added poignancy. “Go and sin no more” is not some moralistic send-off; nor is it some veiled threat: “Change your life, or else!” Rather it is an invitation to become a new person; Jesus is basically telling her: “I have obtained for you a new life. You are a new creation; go, and do not allow yourself to be characterised by sin anymore.”

I have obtained for you a new life. You are a new creation; go, and do not allow yourself to be characterised by sin anymore

This is Christ’s answer to cancel culture: a mercy that heals sinners while offering them the possibility of redemption. In a recent interview, atheist comedian Jimmy Carr (often threatened himself with ‘cancellation’ for his off-colour jokes), admitted that: “Although we have become arrogant in secular culture about our achievements, religion does certain things better: religion has a road for redemption and forgiveness.”

God’s redeeming mercy is the “something new” prophesied in today’s first reading. Isaiah speaks about God opening a way through the sea and causing life-giving water to well up in the desert. These powerful images remind us that God wishes to heal us, give us new life, and renew our hearts to make them more like his.