WATCHWORD:
Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Matthew 6:14
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37
Meditation:
The Power of Forgiveness
On a Monday morning in October, 2006, Charles Roberts, age 32, married with two small children, forced his way into the West Nickel Mines Amish School in rural Lancaster County, PA, and shot 10 children, five of whom died. He then killed himself. That was not the end of the story. Shortly after, the Amish women of Lancaster County, reached out to the killer’s widow and her children, providing comfort, support and friendship. Forgiveness under most difficult circumstances. No
We have repeated violent deaths across this nation and within close families. And now we have still another — 19 children and two teachers. Are there acts so heinous as to be unforgivable? In the throes of anger, shock and grief, we would say these killings qualify, and we would probably vote for that. But God, shedding His own tears of love, would say “No”, and would make it clear to us that even these are not beyond His forgiveness. We just don’t understand how all inclusive and broad is the Love of God. We really don’t understand, but we are among the beneficiaries of God’s great love.
There is power in forgiveness. It is called love. It is an acting out of Christ’s command to “love others as I have loved you.” We forgive others because we have been forgiven by our God for our great and repeated sins.
I have heard it said that “God does not grade on the curve,” that His forgiveness touches the unnamed Texas killer and the Stan Escotts of the world with equality. In a way, I have a hard time with that. It seems to my human brain that causing death, chaos and grief should carry a greater penalty than my sins of omission, and times of pettiness. I just know that our concept of God’s love is much too small and inadequate. I am just grateful that we are under God’s love.
Think about this, we are to forgive others with the same power God has given us through His forgiveness. Without that power of love, I wonder if those Amish women could have demonstrated so clearly a most powerful sense of forgiveness. Where will forgiveness fit in to these recent tragedies?
I had this thought while working on this meditation: When you carry a grudge – the grudge carries you! From a mental health standpoint that’s a true statement. The longer you hold on to that darkness, the deeper it becomes. Too often the inability to forgive simply compounds itself the longer it goes. A small slight, can grow into a major problem. A pebble in the shoe, turns into a boulder, yet you walk on.
I think many of us, me included, have no problem with personal forgiveness, once we cleared that first barrier that too often stops us cold — we must first admit that we have sinned, that is our part in this private war. Without that, we have no place to go, no grounds to forgive, no grounds to be forgiven. Amen.
Bulletin Board:
Forgiveness is a natural condition with the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. You have trouble with a moment of forgiveness? Call on your Helper, your Holy Spirit, He will get you through to the end.
Prayers:
Gracious Creator God, our hearts are full of grief for the parents and families that are going through such agony. Compassionate Father, we prayer a special blessing on those families and ask you to extend Your loving arms to encompass them, and your newest angels, and grant them a measure of peace. Thank you Lord.
Dear Merciful Lord,
Thank you for your gift of forgiveness. Your only Son loved me enough to come to earth and experience the worst pain imaginable so I could be forgiven. Your mercy flows to me in spite of my faults and failures. Your Word says to “clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.” (Col. 3:14) Help me demonstrate unconditional love today, even to those who I may struggle with. In Your name, we pray. Amen.
