Mean Girls and Nicodemus - March 12
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:49-72; PM Psalm 49, [53]; Deut. 9:13-21; Heb. 3:12-19; John 2:23-3:15
Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?”
We all know that humanity is far from perfect. One film that captures this truth beautifully is the 2004 classic Mean Girls. The title itself is fitting—this movie is about high school cliques, with the infamous “Mean Girls” at the center, systematically making life difficult for everyone else. The protagonist, Cady (played by Lindsay Lohan), starts as a thoughtful, intelligent, and kind person but abandons those qualities in an attempt to fit in with the Mean Girls. As the story unfolds, things spiral out of control, and nearly everyone in the film becomes a little meaner. While it’s a comedy (and later a Broadway musical), Mean Girls offers a sharp reflection on just how cruel people can be.
The film’s climax comes after the Burn Book scandal causes chaos at North Shore High. Ms. Norbury gathers the junior girls in the gym for a reconciliation exercise, urging them to apologize for the harm they’ve caused. At first, it’s awkward, but then one student steps up to admit her wrongdoing. Soon, more girls follow, sparking a chain reaction of accountability and vulnerability. This moment of collective repentance helps resolve many of the movie’s conflicts. By the end, Cady has learned from her mistakes. She is no longer defined by her worst moments but emerges more self-aware and resilient.
In the same way, the prayers of the church—the Great Litany, the Litany of Penitence, and much of our liturgy—point to our brokenness as human beings. Lent is meant to expose this reality, not to condemn us, but to prepare us to grasp the true power of the Gospel: the love of Christ and the hope of redemption. Acknowledging our flaws doesn’t mean we are forever bound by them. Instead, we are people who grow.
Nicodemus is one of my favorite figures in the New Testament, perhaps because he wrestles with faith, asks questions, and ultimately shows up at Jesus’ tomb to care for his body. Nicodemus grows. The man we encounter at the end of John’s Gospel is not the same one we meet in today’s passage. Here, he is a seeker, questioning his faith and sneaking out at night to speak with Jesus. But by the end of the Gospel, he steps into the daylight, transformed.
We are not finished products. We are people being shaped and transformed by the love of God. The same is true of those with whom we struggle in our relationships—they, too, are works in progress. Repentance is more than just an act of confession; it is a participation in the chain reaction of grace that helps us grow into the people God calls us to be. Our hope is that we, like Nicodemus, will wrestle with our questions and, in time, live into a faith that transforms us in profound ways.
John+
Questions for Self-Reflection: How are you a different person than you used to be? Is this intentional? How have you grown in the last few years? How do you hope to continue to grow?