Unless you Repent

In this week’s Gospel Luke 13: 1-9 Jesus uses the phrase ‘unless you repent’ twice to emphasize its importance ‘unless you repent, you will likewise perish.’

When Jesus speaks of repentance, he uses the Greek word ‘metanoia’ which means a deep, transformative change of mind and heart. It is not just about feeling sorry for sins but about a complete turning away from sin and turning toward God.

He is speaking about a change of perspective – seeing life, God, and others in a new way. A turning toward God – aligning one’s life with God’s will, a transformation of heart and actions and living differently as a result of this new way of thinking.

It is not merely regret or remorse but a radical reorientation of one’s life in response to God’s grace. We see this in the great stories of conversions in the Gospels - Mary Magdalene, Matthew the tax collector, Zacchaeus, the Samaritan woman at the well, Peter, James and John. They leave everything behind and follow Jesus.

‘Metanoia’ is not a one-time event but an ongoing process, a daily turning toward God. The alternative is the risk of spiritual stagnation and separation from God’s life-giving grace.

From my life’s experiences, matanoia is not a proactive venture but a courageous response, to say yes to God’s call. I did not seek to experience a Life in the Spirit seminar nor a Marriage Encounter weekend, neither did I seek out to become an ordained deacon. My life’s experiences and the grace of God had given me the courage to say yes to ‘putting out into the deep’.

Each of these moments of saying ‘yes’ was a step in an ongoing journey of conversion—a continuous reshaping of my heart and mind by God’s grace. Metanoia is not about personal ambition or self-improvement but about surrender, trust, and allowing God to lead.

Looking back, I see how each ‘yes’ opened doors I never would have imagined, drawing me deeper into His love and purpose. Just as Peter stepped out of the boat at Jesus’ command, metanoia calls us to step beyond our comfort zones, trusting that God’s transformative work is not just for a season but for a lifetime.

Friend, probably you are experiencing a unique ‘God’s call in your life’, if you are, I encourage you to answer the call in the affirmative. Like Mary’s ‘thy will be done’ open yourself to the unknown, ‘let go and let God’. His arms will catch you.

Thank you for subscribing to this newsletter, this kind act of encouragement gives me the strength to continue, please share the publication and be an associate evangelizer. To my patrons, without you I would not be able to have the time to do this ‘good work’, thank you.

I believe I have a call to venture on a grand pilgrimage later this year, posting our experiences along the way to this publication and the pastoral website. Please pray for my guidance. I will keep you posted on its development.