Forgive

“Bless the Lord … He forgives all our sins and heals all our diseases; He ransoms us from death and surrounds us with love and tender mercies.” Psalm 103

This past week we have seen yet another politician tripped up by things he’s done, making up stories, and finally coming clean with confessions and signs of contrition.

He’s not the first, of course, and sadly, we know he will not be the last.

The line of miscreants is growing long in America. We’re finding them in the hallowed halls of Congress; in the back rooms of Wall Street; at work, school, and church; and everywhere else we look.

Why? It is because human beings are everywhere, and no one is innocent or without guilt.

Events of the past few weeks, months, and years give us a good opportunity to explore what it is we mean by terms like confession, contrition, and forgiveness.

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others …” we pray. It is a double edged sword, isn’t it? It ties us to those we hurt, and to those who hurt us.

We want God to forgive us our misdoings. Maybe we even expect God to do that – that’s his job isn’t it? Isn’t that in God’s job description? King Herod put it this way: God loves to forgive sin; I love to sin; my, isn’t the world admirably arranged!

We want God to forgive us our sins, trespasses, and debts. The prayer Jesus taught his followers adds a marvelous touch: “as we forgive those who have sinned against us”.

In other words: God, treat me the way I treat others. If I hold a grudge, You hold a grudge; if I forgive, You forgive. Properly understood, that’s our prayer.

Forgiveness, however, often comes too quickly and easily in our world. We know what to say and we know how to hang down our heads when we are caught. We do so, expecting others to acknowledge our contrition and to move along hastily; but how does one measure the sincerity of the admission?

The answer is not to be found in the words. Forgiveness is not about finding the right incantations or using the proper wand – or knowing when to use the wand and when to keep it sheathed.

The answer is found in action. “Forgive” is a verb – a word describing an action or state of being – and requires either an action or an honest change of essence. Forgiveness is not a cheap parlor trick, but what comes out of the hard work of reconciliation. Forgiveness results in the change of both parties; requires a capacity to have an honest, open, and genuine conversation. Americans aren’t good at that. We have attention deficit when it comes to the hard work of making peace with others.

We want our peace the way we want our coffee: hot and fast. We want the slate wiped clean when we say we’re sorry, even when we go on doing what it is or was we say we’re sorry about.

That is not good enough for God and, when you think about it, it shouldn’t be good enough for us. We shouldn’t have to just settle for half-baked and second rate admissions of wrong doing from others, no matter who they are.

“God forgives all our sins” isn’t a job description but a God description. It says we have a God who thinks enough of us to do what is necessary to save and preserve us. We are like two-year olds running in and out of traffic, dodging cars and causing chaos and mayhem for those trying to avoid collisions.

The trouble with toddlers is they have no idea what havoc they’re causing. The solution isn’t the death and destruction of the world’s intellectual or emotional juveniles, but taking them by the hand to direct and guide them towards maturity.

That’s what forgiveness is. It is courageously taking by the hand those who hurt us (because they are important), and not letting them go until they understand what they have done, what they are doing, and how that has been affecting the relationship.

Without that honest talk, there can be no reconciliation, there can be no absolution, and there can be no forgiveness. What then? We’ll discuss that next week in this, our world.

Photo Credit: flex4fitness.wordpress.com/mental-health/healing-hands-a-touch-of-comfort/