Reflections on the spiritual discipline of forgiveness with an expression of envy from a humanist on the Christians ability to forgive.

SCRIPTURE: Luke 23:34 (NIV)

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

STORY as told by John Stott:

Not long before she died in 1988, in a moment of surprising candor in television, Marghanita Laski, one of our best-known secular humanists and novelists, said, "What I envy most about you Christians is your forgiveness; I have nobody to forgive me." 

OBSERVATION:

On the surface forgiveness sounds so simple. “Just forgive and move on” is heard many times in the course of living. Easier said than done … much easier said than actually accomplished. Don’t we envy those who are able to do that on a regular basis? It becomes obvious that forgiveness is a part of their spiritual discipline … a corner stone … it holds their life together … and the best part, confessed by a forgiver, is that they sleep well every night.

Each of us has individuals in our life that have contributed to a situation that demands forgiveness. We’ve been emotionally injured. Our reputation has taken a blow. We’ve been lied to. We have been used. We have been abused. We have been maligned. We have been robbed … and we have the cuts and bruises of the emotional, mental and/or spiritual injury to prove it.

Here is an experiment shared some years ago by a much wiser person than myself. He said that when he couldn’t get passed a particular wrong – because he found the “just forgive and move on” advice a little too shallow – he would find a quiet corner, preferably in a sanctuary, and sit there thinking about the wrong. He would pull paper and pen out and write a long letter to the individual in question. He made a point to emphasis that they were long, long letters.

He went on to share that in the writing he would be as angry as possible as well as shed more than a few tears as the remembrance would inch its self from the depths of his soul. After a length of time he would conclude the letter with a plea for forgiveness. And then, he would get up and carry it to the altar of the church. Standing there he would surrender the pain and the individual to the Lord. And then … taking the letter outside and burn it. Done … completed … finished … forgiven … forgotten … forever.

Sometimes, he said, the relationship was righted on its own terms, but most of the time it wasn’t. But, he didn’t carry the burden any longer. Oh, by the way, he said that after one of these “forgiveness sessions” he would be so spent that he would go home and sleep for many hours.

Maybe there needs to be some bonfires of forgiveness letters ignited throughout our communities. As for me, I think there are some letters to been written. How about you?

PRAYER:

We desire to follow our Jesus’ example and forgive those who have wronged us, but Lord, it is hard. We need your help – tons of it. Please help us to move on in our lives. Help us to move past these barriers that are holding us back.

QUOTE from Max Lucado, No Wonder They Call Him the Savior, page 29 – reflecting on the Luke account quoted above:

And when you think about it, they didn’t. They hadn’t the faintest idea what they were doing. They were a stir-crazy mob, mad at something they couldn’t see so they took it out on, of all people, God. 

The Promise of Peace in the middle of life's storms - John 20:26 with a story about Nicholas Ridley facing death with an observation and a prayer.

SCRIPTURE: John 20:26 (NIV)

A week later his disciples were in the house again… Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

STORY:

In 1555, Nicholas Ridley was burned at the stake because of his witness for Christ. On the night before Ridley's execution, his brother offered to remain with him in the prison chamber to be of assistance and comfort. Nicholas declined the offer and replied that he meant to go to bed and sleep as quietly as ever he did in his life. Because he knew the peace of God, he could rest in the strength of the everlasting arms of his Lord to meet his need.

OBSERVATION:

Could we lie down and go to sleep if we were facing certain death the next morning? Cannot run away from that question, now can we. And, while we do not face death at the dawning of a new day, we do face life’s challenges that take away our breath. Some cause us to question our future. Some make us evaluate our priorities. And, many – if we would be honest with ourselves – do bring into question just how much God is truly involved in life … our life … on a daily basis.

“Where was God?” is a question that most pastors get on a rather regular basis. “Where was he when I needed him?” “I prayed and this happened anyway?” “Man, I haven’t seen God active in my life in a long time.” And so they go. Each of us could write our own reflection on the challenges of our journey.

Now, it would be great if we only needed to pick up the phone, dial up God’s heavenly phone number and get an immediate answer with a satisfying solution. Or, would it? What would have happened if we got answers to every problem we ever placed before God? What would have happened if everything that we asked for we would receive? Well, we probably would find something else to complain about first of all. The bigger issue is that our life would be more complicated than it already is.

Evidently this feeling was expressed when I was much younger for out of nowhere my mother produced a little card on which was printed:

God hath not promised skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through;
God hath not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain. But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

It was carried in my wallet for years. At one point it was simply taped to a small frame in the office and ended up being handed to someone who needed to be reminded of the reality of God’s promise more often than an old preacher.

To remember just what God has promised with his promise of peace can make all the difference in life.

  

PRAYER:

For the continued promise of peace we pray. We are thankful that Jesus journeys with us and stands close by as we face the challenges of life. It is comforting to know that he is always there. Thank you God for your peace in the midst of the storms.

QUOTE from Max Lucado, Six Hours One Friday, page 195:

The church of Jesus Christ began with a group of frightened men in a second-floor room in Jerusalem…. The one betrayed sought his betrayers. What did Jesus say to them? Not, “What a bunch of flops!” Not, “I told you so.” No “Where-were-you-when-I-needed-you?” speeches. But simply one phrase, “Peace be with you.” The very thing they didn’t have was the very thing he offered: peace. 

The always and forever presence of Jesus, a fulfillment of a promise. Reflections on Matthew 28:20 with a personal story about my son Tim and me.

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 28:20 (RSV)

And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

STORY:

We were walking in the mall, my son and me. During those years I had but one speed – full tilt. With long legs it was easy to cover a lot of territory. It wasn’t noticed, but Tim was having a hard time keeping up. Finally, he either got tired or simply had had enough. He stopped dead in his tracks and simply stopped. He stood there, arms folded, staring at me. When I finally took note of the fact that my son was no longer beside me. I too stopped, turned around, walking back to where he was standing asking what was wrong.

His response brought me up short: “Are you here with me?”

Admitting to your child that your mind was on the “agenda,” that “it” was more important than just being with him is not an easy admission, but there in the middle of Tyrone Square Mall, St. Petersburg, Florida on that Saturday afternoon I had to do just that. It was one of many “ouch” moments in life. So, we did stop, sat down and shared a bowl of ice cream … and simply enjoyed being together.

OBSERVATION:

Isn’t it easy to get caught up in the moment … to concentrate on the “agenda” … to zero in on the task … to focus on doing than on being?

Jesus had a task to fulfill during his days on earth, but it was a people-centered task. People were important to him … even those whom society said were not important. People like children, women, foreigners, sick, dying, diseased, widows, orphans … the disenfranchised of society. People like you and like me.

But his task went beyond the years of his earthly ministry. He promised to be there for us regardless of the time, the day, the year or the agenda of our lives … “unto the ends of the age” … always there … always! In good times and bad he is there. During the up-days and the down-days he is there. When it rains and when the sun shines he is there. Always … 24/7 … never ending, never ceasing, never … ever he is there! Always is a very, very long time!

Sometimes we lose sight of that reality. We get caught up in our agenda, our task, our wants, our desires, our job, our wishes, our problems, our aches, our pain, our failures, our victories, that we fail to notice that we have a companion walking beside us. He keeps reminding us, “Hey, I’m here with you. So let’s slow down. Let’s enjoy each other. Let’s enjoy those who are on this journey with you. I’m not going anywhere and if you slow down to enjoy their presence … to hear their stories … neither will they.” 

PRAYER:

For always being there, even when we do not take notice of your presence, thank you.

QUOTE by Max Lucado:

Funerals, divorces, illnesses, and stays in the hospital – you can’t lie about life at such times. Maybe that’s why Jesus is always present at such moments. (God Came Near, p. 54)

Overcomers are we all because God is trustworthy - John 16:33 with a story of little Zac Hansel and an observation.

SCRIPTURE: John 16:33 (TM)

I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world.

STORY as shared by Tim Hansel:

One day, while my son Zac and I were out in the country, climbing around in some cliffs, I heard a voice from above me yell, "Hey Dad! Catch me!" I turned around to see Zac joyfully jumping off a rock straight at me. He had jumped and them yelled "Hey Dad!" I became an instant circus act, catching him. We both fell to the ground. For a moment after I caught him I could hardly talk. 

When I found my voice again I gasped in exasperation: "Zac! Can you give me one good reason why you did that???"

He responded with remarkable calmness: "Sure...because you're my Dad." His whole assurance was based in the fact that his father was trustworthy.

OBSERVATION:

Trust allows us all to become overcomers. We can overcome our fears. We can overcome our hesitations. We can overcome our low self-esteem. We can overcome our anger. We can overcome our lack of confidence. Since Jesus overcame the world, we too can become overcomers … if we trust him!

Trusting Jesus is like little Zax in the story above. Zac trusted his father because he had discovered that his father was trustworthy. Zax could live his life full tilt, no holds bar, full speed ahead because he had found that he was safe in the arms of his father. Children really do not need a good reason to do what they do … they just do it … especially when trust is involved. If a child feels safe then they can conqueror the world.

Therein lies the lesson for us Christians. God, our father, has proven himself to be trustworthy. Need proof? Just look around our life and the facts speak for themselves. Oh, yes, trouble does find our doorstep. Illness and the pain of death does come and visit us. But when all is said and done our life is much better than we could ever imagine. God is trustworthy. Need more proof? Just look to the cross of Jesus, the empty tomb of Easter, and the giving of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

God is trustworthy so therefore, we can live our life with complete abandonment, all out, full throttle … and Christ is right there beside us to “catch” us when we jump!

PRAYER:

God it is a good thing to be able to trust you with our life. That feeling cannot be compared with anything that the world can offer us. So here we go … we are jumping forward into life! Amen.

A word of encouragement - something that has been lost in our present day. Reflection on Hebrews 3:13 with a story from the life of Mercedes Ruehl.

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

STORY as told by Madeleine Blais:

Mercedes Ruehl, one of the few actresses to win a Tony and an Oscar in the same year (for Lost in Yonkers and The Fisher King), saw her first Broadway show when she was in grade school. Her family was in New York visiting relatives and driving through Times Square. On the spur of the moment her parents decided to see if they could get tickets to The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

"I remember waiting in the car," says Ruehl, "while my mother ran up to the box office. The only tickets left were for box seats. Box seats! To me there were no better seats, and I remember my father saying, sure, go for it. One of the best qualities of my parents was that they liked to have fun.

"As we watched the play, I could not take my eyes off its star, Tammy Grimes. She must have felt my adoration, because at one point she looked up and held my eyes. It was probably for no more than one second, but it seemed like ten seconds. I always felt that was my official invitation to be an actress. With her gaze I was touched like a knight on both shoulders with a sword."  

OBSERVATION:

For some it is as simple as eye contact. For others words become important. And still others will take an unselfish act of a pat-on-the-back or some other gesture. Encouragement is needed more today than at any other time in our history. It seems like it is a lost art, but it has been lost in the business of our daily living.

I was asked just this past Friday evening what is wrong with our society. I didn’t have an answer then, but have been thinking about ever since. It dawned on my gray matter this morning that one thing we don’t hear a lot of today is praise … a word of encouragement … a few “atta-boy” … Criticism is cheap and plentiful. Too easily and quickly shared. Words of encouragement are simple. Doesn’t take much effort. Just a little encouragement, a gesture, a pat-on-the-back and the world seems friendlier. Life becomes more livable. Possibilities open up. And we carry on ... encouraged to do so.

To know that someone is watching; To know that we matter; To know that we are making a contribution; To know that what little we are doing for the Kingdom of God makes a difference to someone else; To hear a kind word in the midst of all the negative words that invade our hears; To realize that we are making a difference; To be embraced by the kindness of others … And then to have the ability to share it, to pass it on, to offer our own words of encouragement, to build each other up with praise and thanksgiving … now that is a ministry to others and for others … and for the Kingdom of God.

PRAYER:

Help us to be sensitive to those around us, gracious God. Help us to be ready with a word of encouragement. Help us to build each other up with a strong word of praise. Amen.

QUOTE by William Arthur Ward:

Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you.