We often toss out the phrase, “the chickens are coming home to roost” when we see someone suffering the consequences of bad decisions or actions. Reaping what he has sewn. Usually said with some delight or self-righteousness. The German language has a nice word for that delight. Schadenfreude: pleasure in someone else’s misfortune.
Rather than thinking of others, Lent gives us a good opportunity to consider our own chickens rather than checking out our neighbor’s coop. What are the decisions we have made whose consequences we now live with? Can we face them? Can we forgive ourselves for them? Can we forgive others whose bad choices have impacted us negatively? This is deep, hard work. Coming home to roost is better than the alternative. Not coming home at all. Home is a place where poor decisions can be forgiven. A good night on the roost ends with the light of a new day.