Forgiveness, one of the hardest
expressions for us to extend, and yet one of the most necessary for our
Spiritual health. Every generation has experienced tragedy and unspeakable
evils during their life, moments that cause us to questions the fate of
humanity and, at times, even the goodness of God.
Recent events [mass shootings,
bombing, attempted assassinations of our leaders, the massive spread of human
trafficking leading to slavery and sexual exploitation] seem to catch us off
guard each time they are exposed. At times evil feels distant from our daily
life, emotions, and experiences, but then, other events take place, which hit
us at our core, and wake us up to reality.
This week I watched an interview on CBS this morning (watch here). The
topic was religion and hope following the Boston bombing. One host asked the
tough question: “how do you forgive the boys…?” (referring to the alleged attackers), and
then: “does everybody deserve forgiveness?” I was struck by the Pastor’s
response: “Forgiveness, really, this is the truth, is for our self. You’re not
forgiving or excusing what they did; you’re releasing yourself from bitterness,
releasing yourself from heartache. So I really believe forgiveness is for us,
so that we can move on”
My intent is not to criticize or demean but I have two main
issues with this response. First, forgiveness
is not selfish; actually, it is the opposite, for it is self-less. In
forgiveness, we are denying our self the perceived right of revenge, anger,
hurt, and judgment. We are also releasing the other person from our retribution,
in the process trusting God to deal with the consequences. Forgiveness does not
deny consequences; to the contrary, it allows those consequences to come from a
place of love and pure justice.
Secondly, I wonder
what this definition of forgiveness means when we look at God. Does God forgive
purely for selfish reasons? Is God’s forgiveness simply releasing himself from
holding onto hurt we have caused Him? I do not believe so. Rather, God forgives
because it is His character to do so. The forgiveness of God is a direct result
of His promise that all who believe in the one He sent [Jesus] will be saved.
As we seek comfort In the Midst of tragedy, the words we
choose to display God and encourage the hurting must be carefully crafted and
spoken with prayerfully thought communication. God is the only hope for the
nations and diminishing Gods great gift of forgiveness to a selfish endeavor misses
the true character of God and leads to false forgiveness. Forgiveness is not a
matter of will power and redirection of emotional energy, it is submitting to
the grace of God for you and for others.
