We just finished four messages on forgiveness
• That was everything I originally had in mind on topic, but first service discussion week 1 there was a question of definition
• So I made some notes to do an appendix on definitions today
What is forgiveness?
• What are the elements that define full forgiveness?
• Must all of those elements be present for forgiveness to happen?
So w/o any review of what we’ve said thus far, let’s get right to it…
What is forgiveness?
A common notion of forgiveness, often among women, goes something like this…
• We accept the other person’s offense by denying our own pain
• In effect, we lie to ourselves
• We say something along the lines…
Well, that wasn’t really that bad
I’ve probably set my standards too high
Maybe I’m off in thinking that this kind of thing shouldn’t happen
That’s probably pretty normal behavior, and I’m just too picky
This form of “forgiveness” (and I put it in quotes because it’s not)
• Is common among people who have been mistreated
• Especially who come from families where their identity or feelings were crushed
• Especially if they were not allowed to express negative emotions
• Hey, young lady, big girls don’t cry
• Keep your temper in check, young man
• If we have been trained to deny our own pain, it’s not that big a step to apply that denial to forgiveness
“It wasn’t really that bad”
• Even though there is something inside us that rebels at it…
…there is something else in us that feels very comfortable here
…it’s an interior landscape we’re familiar with
Denying our own pain and lying to ourselves creates a dissonance
But for some, the denial terrain is so familiar, we go there
• “it really wasn’t that bad”
• “I’m so particular…”
• “Well, I’m probably too fussy when it comes to things like this”
• “I should really lighten up and not be so demanding
• “father would say I was just being self-centered”
In effect what we’re doing is lying to ourselves
• Forgiveness is all about healing
• But when we lie to ourselves, no healing happens
• A false kind of forgiveness masquerades as something good
• But it is in fact, deception of the worst kind
• Self-deception
This is one of the dimensions of Jesus telling us this…
• When the light in you is dark, how great is the dark
• When we dress up a toxic vice like self-deception, and call it a healing virtue like forgiveness…
• We are doubly condemned
• Because we hang on to it like it’s truth, when in fact it’s poison
Remember when we talked about self-forgiveness, we had to look at the truth of our natures
• The unvarnished examination of what it means to be fallen
• The lesser nature inside of us
• Well, self-forgiveness invites us to look beyond this lesser truth
• To see ourselves through the vision of faith, Spirit, history, hope
The same applies to forgiving others
• We cannot forgive them if we deny the offense they have done
• This is false, it is not forgiveness
• It is denial
• It is deception
• It is lying to ourselves
And nobody…
• Not the offender
• Not ourselves
• Benefits from denial dressed up as forgiveness
Forgiveness heals and restores relationship
Denial dressed up as forgiveness does not
Second, let’s look at the basic elements of real forgiveness
A template in four parts
In picture-perfect forgiveness, there are certain elements present
1. The offense, the hurt
Betrayal, deception, disloyalty, insensitivity
Selfishness at another’s expense
Any offense
2. The feelings in the aftermath of the offense
Anger, sadness, revenge, vengeance
Sorrow, mourning, distress, grief
Regret, self-condemnation for being so stupid
3. The confession
An admission of guilt
An open hearted apology
A request to be forgiven
Perhaps even an act of contrition
4. The reconciliation
As a full confession is made by the offender…
Forgiveness is extended by the offended…
Agreements are made
We’ll not do this again, we’ll do x or y in the future to avoid this unfortunate rift between us opening again
And restoration of relationship happens
And that template would be ideal…
• If it ever happened
• But it rarely does
Now, just because it rarely does, let us set ourselves that if it does not…
• It will not be because of our part in the drama
My kids; if you did the crime, pay the time
• Everybody makes mistakes
• Everybody falls short of their own image of themselves
• Everybody shames themselves in moments of weakness
• Everybody fails more times than they think they should
But what distinguishes people of character, I tell them…
• Is when we acknowledge straight-up that we have failed
• And we take the hit for it
• We did the crime, we pay the time
• Dad, I did this thing, knowing full well that there will be a negative consequence for doing so
Nobody likes to confess they have been the offending party
• But every one of us has been and will be the offending party
• And we are followers of Jesus
• We are people in whom the Spirit of forgiveness dwells
• We are the conduits of healing and restoration on earth
• As such, when we are given the opportunity, we fully participate in the ideal forgiveness-template
• All four elements…
• Even if the element of confession/contrition/amends falls to us
But that having been said…
Most often, all 4 elements of forgiveness-template are not present
• Most offenders never fully confess
• Most do not see or acknowledge the pain they have caused
And in the full template, reconciliation does not happen until repentance and contrition have taken place
Often, the 4-step process halts when no confession/contrition happens
We are called to forgive our parents for the wrongs they did us
But they went to their graves without an acknowledgment or apology
• Perhaps they never realized what they did wrong
• Perhaps they could not bring themselves out of denial because the pain of screwing up their kids was just too big
But, the process of healing/restoration that forgiveness affords, comes to a halt
• The confession/contrition did not happen
If you haven’t seen the movie Dead Man Walking you should go home this afternoon and rent it
• It’s the story of an inmate on death row, a kidnapper/rapist
• And the story of him being loved as he prepares to die
• The movie deals w/ relationship between a nun, Susan Sarandon, and an inmate, Sean Penn
• What it doesn’t deal with is the person Sean Penn’s character kidnapped and raped
• Her name was Debbie Morris
• In her story, written years later, she says that she didn’t realize she needed to forgive Robert Willie
…until the morning of his execution
…and wasn’t able to forgive him for years after his death
This did not meet the elements of the forgiveness template at all
• There was plenty of offense, plenty of feelings
• But no confession, no reconciliation
• She said in her book that she could only imagine a reconciliation in heaven
And yet, when you watch that movie…
When you hear her after-the-movie story…
• It is clear that a great deal of healing happened for both of them
• And wrapped up in the healing, was the spirit of forgiveness
…the less-than-ideal template forgiveness
All that healing…
All that redemption…
All that restoration…
…in a less-than-ideal exchange of mercy/forgiveness
In her book she wrote…
• If I meet Robert Willie in heaven after this life, he’ll have gotten there the same way I will; through God’s generosity and grace
If we wait to have all four elements of idealized forgiveness present, a lot of precious healing and restoration will be missed
• I’ve mentioned a book by Rabbi Kushner many times…
• When Bad Things Happen to Good People
• He talks about people angry at God for some personal loss
• And he talks about the healing that happens when we forgive God
• This makes no sense at all in with the idealized template
In this instance, the healing that happens is internal
The restoration/redemption is also internal
• We learn to forgive God
• We learn to forgive the universe
• We learn to forgive the world
• But the world, the universe, God will never ask forgiveness
But nevertheless, when we are able to forgive, we are transformed
• When external actions of forgiveness transform our internal way of seeing the world…
• Healing happens; restoration happens
• Personal integration happens
• And it happens because we access forgiveness even when the whole template is not present
• We extend grace, mercy, forgiveness from within ourselves never having received confession, contrition, even an apology
If ever there was a Divine, Messiah-like action, this is it
• That’s why we talked about necessity of Divine resource last week
• This is need for a baptism of HS we were talking about
To illustrate, let me read you a story from a sermon I read on subject…
I’ve lost the reference: my apologies to the author…
My best friend from high school, Steve, has never been reliable about keeping appointments. We’d make plans to do things when I was home from college, and he’d be hours late, or he wouldn’t show up at all. There was nothing personal about this; he did it to everybody. I’d try to punish him by getting angry, but it never made any difference. Finally one day I realized that if Steve’s mother and all his girlfriends over the years hadn’t been able to change him, I probably wouldn’t be able to change him either. I needed to decide whether or not I wanted him in my life the way he is.
It turned out I did want him in my life. And so I made a decision, which I never told him about. I took for granted that he was unreliable, and whenever we made plans together, I made plans for what I would do if he didn’t show up. If we were supposed to meet somewhere, I’d make sure it was a good place to sit, and I’d bring a book to read, or something else to keep me occupied. I’d decide ahead of time how long I was willing to wait, and have something in mind to do after I was done waiting.
That was about 20 years ago. We’re still friends, and he still can’t be counted on to keep an appointment. And looking back, I’m convinced I did the right thing. It’s been good having him in my life.
This is an easy example, but consider what it says about forgiveness
• no confession was present, no restitution was made
• this is not the idealized template at all
• but forgiveness gave way to healing and restoration
• the author jumped straight from offense/feelings to reconciliation
• alone!
• didn’t even tell the offender that reconciliation had happened
• the author honestly acknowledged Steve’s faults
• the author allowed for those faults
• and Steve was forgiven
• forgiven for things he had done
• forgiven for things he hadn’t even done yet
• He was simply forgiven for being the way he was
This is what we do when we forgive the universe, forgive God, world
• We simply forgive things for being the way they are
• We forgive one another for being the way we are
• We forgive ourselves for being the way we are
Of course, we hope we are better tomorrow; but we’ll not be perfect
Of course, we hope others will be better tomorrow; but never perfect
• So as long as we live in an imperfect world…
• We will always be invited to forgive things/people for simply being way they are
when confession and restitution are not made…
• when amends are not offered…
• forgiveness has a deeper dimension as well…
• forgiveness has a bankruptcy-like element
some wrongs cannot be made up
• no amount of confession/amends can make up for some wrongs
• can Pol Pot make up for the genocide of Cambodia?
• Can government make up for 20 yrs of wrongful imprisonment?
• Can an abusive husband make up for 10 years of abuse?
• Can neglectful parents make up for a child ill-prepared for life?
If we are honest, we have done things, or suffered things that cannot be paid for
• So, since no restitution can be made, is forgiveness forfeit?
This is where forgiveness has a bankruptcy-like element
• When a person has economic debts he/she cannot pay, society affords him/her the opportunity to declare bankruptcy
• The debt is forgiven without amends
• The debtor is allowed to start a new economic life
• Every civilized country does this
• Because we understand that without mercy, a potentially valuable person will be kept from contributing to society
• Society forgives the debt and gains a productive citizen
Forgiveness can be like this…
A debt that cannot be paid is forgiven with no payment
With my weakness, with my failure, with the great offense I have done you, I could still be a productive part of your life
• If you allow me
• If you declare me bankrupt
• If you allow me to start over again
Now of course, there are limits to the bankruptcy image
• Ddeclaring bankruptcy can give an offender license to hurt us again and again
• Just like we don’t do that in society…
• Just as one must prove one’s self before credit is extended again
• The same is true of forgiveness
• We protect ourselves from those who would harm us
But that having been said…
• in the absence of the ability to properly confess, make things right, forgiveness can still create healing/restoration
• Bankruptcy-forgiveness believes future will be better than the past; a very spiritual belief
• Bankruptcy-forgiveness cautiously holds an inner framework that allow a person to change
To offer this kind of forgiveness is profoundly spiritual
• It has faith that sees beyond a person’s weakness
• It has a spiritual framework that says, this person is not their sin
• My tormentor is not his/her failure
It is spiritual in that it has faith bigger than sight…
• While we of course, protect ourselves from the offender…
• Forgiveness maintains a posture toward the offender that allows for transformation
This is spiritually very demanding
• It demands we set aside our own feelings of pain/hurt
• Set aside our judgments of the worth of the offender
• Our need to levy fines/punishment
…a setting-aside posture that is deeply spiritual indeed
The bankruptcy kind of forgiveness challenges my need to be superior
• I need to keep this trashy offender in his/her place
• I need to see her/him as an inferior human who has done wrong…
• Who is even now wrong, and who will always be wrong
Letting go of one’s own advantage…
Letting go of one’s superiority…
…this is spiritual stuff indeed
As I said at very beginning of this message…
• Forgiveness is not optional if we would follow Jesus
• Our souls are destroyed if we do move into forgiveness-land
• As long as we deal with those who do wrong to us by any other means than forgiveness, we live in a lesser world
• We live in a world that doesn’t properly address evil
• A world that doesn’t adequately address human condition
• Either by making out that we’re more perfect than we are
• Or by making out that we’re less fallen than we are
If we don’t learn forgiveness
Of others, of our selves…
• We fight evil without the recourse to defeat it
• We keep seeing its power over us, over the earth
• We see it in this person, that person, ourselves, earth, universe…
• And as we see it everywhere, we can do nothing but fear it
• We cannot overcome it
• We cannot dismiss it
• We cannot dismantle it
We can only weep
We can only condemn ourselves and others for complicity w/ evil
But if we will move into forgiveness-land…
• If we take our rightful places as citizens there…
• We will have a three-fold blessing
1. we will see God in other people
2. we will see God in ourselves
3. we will see God in a way bigger than we imagined
In forgiveness-land, we are changed
So as we conclude this appendix to our message on forgiveness…
I say again…
• Take your place as a citizen in this land
• You can do it
• The Spirit of God is in you
• And that Spirit is a forgiving Spirit
No matter the offense you have sustained
No matter the pain you have suffered…
• You are a forgiver
• It is in you
Take your place as a natural born citizen of forgiveness land
We just finished four messages on forgiveness
• That was everything I originally had in mind on topic, but first service discussion week 1 there was a question of definition
• So I made some notes to do an appendix on definitions today
What is forgiveness?
• What are the elements that define full forgiveness?
• Must all of those elements be present for forgiveness to happen?
So w/o any review of what we’ve said thus far, let’s get right to it…
What is forgiveness?
A common notion of forgiveness, often among women, goes something like this…
• We accept the other person’s offense by denying our own pain
• In effect, we lie to ourselves
• We say something along the lines…
Well, that wasn’t really that bad
I’ve probably set my standards too high
Maybe I’m off in thinking that this kind of thing shouldn’t happen
That’s probably pretty normal behavior, and I’m just too picky
This form of “forgiveness” (and I put it in quotes because it’s not)
• Is common among people who have been mistreated
• Especially who come from families where their identity or feelings were crushed
• Especially if they were not allowed to express negative emotions
• Hey, young lady, big girls don’t cry
• Keep your temper in check, young man
• If we have been trained to deny our own pain, it’s not that big a step to apply that denial to forgiveness
“It wasn’t really that bad”
• Even though there is something inside us that rebels at it…
…there is something else in us that feels very comfortable here
…it’s an interior landscape we’re familiar with
Denying our own pain and lying to ourselves creates a dissonance
But for some, the denial terrain is so familiar, we go there
• “it really wasn’t that bad”
• “I’m so particular…”
• “Well, I’m probably too fussy when it comes to things like this”
• “I should really lighten up and not be so demanding
• “father would say I was just being self-centered”
In effect what we’re doing is lying to ourselves
• Forgiveness is all about healing
• But when we lie to ourselves, no healing happens
• A false kind of forgiveness masquerades as something good
• But it is in fact, deception of the worst kind
• Self-deception
This is one of the dimensions of Jesus telling us this…
• When the light in you is dark, how great is the dark
• When we dress up a toxic vice like self-deception, and call it a healing virtue like forgiveness…
• We are doubly condemned
• Because we hang on to it like it’s truth, when in fact it’s poison
Remember when we talked about self-forgiveness, we had to look at the truth of our natures
• The unvarnished examination of what it means to be fallen
• The lesser nature inside of us
• Well, self-forgiveness invites us to look beyond this lesser truth
• To see ourselves through the vision of faith, Spirit, history, hope
The same applies to forgiving others
• We cannot forgive them if we deny the offense they have done
• This is false, it is not forgiveness
• It is denial
• It is deception
• It is lying to ourselves
And nobody…
• Not the offender
• Not ourselves
• Benefits from denial dressed up as forgiveness
Forgiveness heals and restores relationship
Denial dressed up as forgiveness does not
Second, let’s look at the basic elements of real forgiveness
A template in four parts
In picture-perfect forgiveness, there are certain elements present
1. The offense, the hurt
Betrayal, deception, disloyalty, insensitivity
Selfishness at another’s expense
Any offense
2. The feelings in the aftermath of the offense
Anger, sadness, revenge, vengeance
Sorrow, mourning, distress, grief
Regret, self-condemnation for being so stupid
3. The confession
An admission of guilt
An open hearted apology
A request to be forgiven
Perhaps even an act of contrition
4. The reconciliation
As a full confession is made by the offender…
Forgiveness is extended by the offended…
Agreements are made
We’ll not do this again, we’ll do x or y in the future to avoid this unfortunate rift between us opening again
And restoration of relationship happens
And that template would be ideal…
• If it ever happened
• But it rarely does
Now, just because it rarely does, let us set ourselves that if it does not…
• It will not be because of our part in the drama
My kids; if you did the crime, pay the time
• Everybody makes mistakes
• Everybody falls short of their own image of themselves
• Everybody shames themselves in moments of weakness
• Everybody fails more times than they think they should
But what distinguishes people of character, I tell them…
• Is when we acknowledge straight-up that we have failed
• And we take the hit for it
• We did the crime, we pay the time
• Dad, I did this thing, knowing full well that there will be a negative consequence for doing so
Nobody likes to confess they have been the offending party
• But every one of us has been and will be the offending party
• And we are followers of Jesus
• We are people in whom the Spirit of forgiveness dwells
• We are the conduits of healing and restoration on earth
• As such, when we are given the opportunity, we fully participate in the ideal forgiveness-template
• All four elements…
• Even if the element of confession/contrition/amends falls to us
But that having been said…
Most often, all 4 elements of forgiveness-template are not present
• Most offenders never fully confess
• Most do not see or acknowledge the pain they have caused
And in the full template, reconciliation does not happen until repentance and contrition have taken place
Often, the 4-step process halts when no confession/contrition happens
We are called to forgive our parents for the wrongs they did us
But they went to their graves without an acknowledgment or apology
• Perhaps they never realized what they did wrong
• Perhaps they could not bring themselves out of denial because the pain of screwing up their kids was just too big
But, the process of healing/restoration that forgiveness affords, comes to a halt
• The confession/contrition did not happen
If you haven’t seen the movie Dead Man Walking you should go home this afternoon and rent it
• It’s the story of an inmate on death row, a kidnapper/rapist
• And the story of him being loved as he prepares to die
• The movie deals w/ relationship between a nun, Susan Sarandon, and an inmate, Sean Penn
• What it doesn’t deal with is the person Sean Penn’s character kidnapped and raped
• Her name was Debbie Morris
• In her story, written years later, she says that she didn’t realize she needed to forgive Robert Willie
…until the morning of his execution
…and wasn’t able to forgive him for years after his death
This did not meet the elements of the forgiveness template at all
• There was plenty of offense, plenty of feelings
• But no confession, no reconciliation
• She said in her book that she could only imagine a reconciliation in heaven
And yet, when you watch that movie…
When you hear her after-the-movie story…
• It is clear that a great deal of healing happened for both of them
• And wrapped up in the healing, was the spirit of forgiveness
…the less-than-ideal template forgiveness
All that healing…
All that redemption…
All that restoration…
…in a less-than-ideal exchange of mercy/forgiveness
In her book she wrote…
• If I meet Robert Willie in heaven after this life, he’ll have gotten there the same way I will; through God’s generosity and grace
If we wait to have all four elements of idealized forgiveness present, a lot of precious healing and restoration will be missed
• I’ve mentioned a book by Rabbi Kushner many times…
• When Bad Things Happen to Good People
• He talks about people angry at God for some personal loss
• And he talks about the healing that happens when we forgive God
• This makes no sense at all in with the idealized template
In this instance, the healing that happens is internal
The restoration/redemption is also internal
• We learn to forgive God
• We learn to forgive the universe
• We learn to forgive the world
• But the world, the universe, God will never ask forgiveness
But nevertheless, when we are able to forgive, we are transformed
• When external actions of forgiveness transform our internal way of seeing the world…
• Healing happens; restoration happens
• Personal integration happens
• And it happens because we access forgiveness even when the whole template is not present
• We extend grace, mercy, forgiveness from within ourselves never having received confession, contrition, even an apology
If ever there was a Divine, Messiah-like action, this is it
• That’s why we talked about necessity of Divine resource last week
• This is need for a baptism of HS we were talking about
To illustrate, let me read you a story from a sermon I read on subject…
I’ve lost the reference: my apologies to the author…
My best friend from high school, Steve, has never been reliable about keeping appointments. We’d make plans to do things when I was home from college, and he’d be hours late, or he wouldn’t show up at all. There was nothing personal about this; he did it to everybody. I’d try to punish him by getting angry, but it never made any difference. Finally one day I realized that if Steve’s mother and all his girlfriends over the years hadn’t been able to change him, I probably wouldn’t be able to change him either. I needed to decide whether or not I wanted him in my life the way he is.
It turned out I did want him in my life. And so I made a decision, which I never told him about. I took for granted that he was unreliable, and whenever we made plans together, I made plans for what I would do if he didn’t show up. If we were supposed to meet somewhere, I’d make sure it was a good place to sit, and I’d bring a book to read, or something else to keep me occupied. I’d decide ahead of time how long I was willing to wait, and have something in mind to do after I was done waiting.
That was about 20 years ago. We’re still friends, and he still can’t be counted on to keep an appointment. And looking back, I’m convinced I did the right thing. It’s been good having him in my life.
This is an easy example, but consider what it says about forgiveness
• no confession was present, no restitution was made
• this is not the idealized template at all
• but forgiveness gave way to healing and restoration
• the author jumped straight from offense/feelings to reconciliation
• alone!
• didn’t even tell the offender that reconciliation had happened
• the author honestly acknowledged Steve’s faults
• the author allowed for those faults
• and Steve was forgiven
• forgiven for things he had done
• forgiven for things he hadn’t even done yet
• He was simply forgiven for being the way he was
This is what we do when we forgive the universe, forgive God, world
• We simply forgive things for being the way they are
• We forgive one another for being the way we are
• We forgive ourselves for being the way we are
Of course, we hope we are better tomorrow; but we’ll not be perfect
Of course, we hope others will be better tomorrow; but never perfect
• So as long as we live in an imperfect world…
• We will always be invited to forgive things/people for simply being way they are
when confession and restitution are not made…
• when amends are not offered…
• forgiveness has a deeper dimension as well…
• forgiveness has a bankruptcy-like element
some wrongs cannot be made up
• no amount of confession/amends can make up for some wrongs
• can Pol Pot make up for the genocide of Cambodia?
• Can government make up for 20 yrs of wrongful imprisonment?
• Can an abusive husband make up for 10 years of abuse?
• Can neglectful parents make up for a child ill-prepared for life?
If we are honest, we have done things, or suffered things that cannot be paid for
• So, since no restitution can be made, is forgiveness forfeit?
This is where forgiveness has a bankruptcy-like element
• When a person has economic debts he/she cannot pay, society affords him/her the opportunity to declare bankruptcy
• The debt is forgiven without amends
• The debtor is allowed to start a new economic life
• Every civilized country does this
• Because we understand that without mercy, a potentially valuable person will be kept from contributing to society
• Society forgives the debt and gains a productive citizen
Forgiveness can be like this…
A debt that cannot be paid is forgiven with no payment
With my weakness, with my failure, with the great offense I have done you, I could still be a productive part of your life
• If you allow me
• If you declare me bankrupt
• If you allow me to start over again
Now of course, there are limits to the bankruptcy image
• Ddeclaring bankruptcy can give an offender license to hurt us again and again
• Just like we don’t do that in society…
• Just as one must prove one’s self before credit is extended again
• The same is true of forgiveness
• We protect ourselves from those who would harm us
But that having been said…
• in the absence of the ability to properly confess, make things right, forgiveness can still create healing/restoration
• Bankruptcy-forgiveness believes future will be better than the past; a very spiritual belief
• Bankruptcy-forgiveness cautiously holds an inner framework that allow a person to change
To offer this kind of forgiveness is profoundly spiritual
• It has faith that sees beyond a person’s weakness
• It has a spiritual framework that says, this person is not their sin
• My tormentor is not his/her failure
It is spiritual in that it has faith bigger than sight…
• While we of course, protect ourselves from the offender…
• Forgiveness maintains a posture toward the offender that allows for transformation
This is spiritually very demanding
• It demands we set aside our own feelings of pain/hurt
• Set aside our judgments of the worth of the offender
• Our need to levy fines/punishment
…a setting-aside posture that is deeply spiritual indeed
The bankruptcy kind of forgiveness challenges my need to be superior
• I need to keep this trashy offender in his/her place
• I need to see her/him as an inferior human who has done wrong…
• Who is even now wrong, and who will always be wrong
Letting go of one’s own advantage…
Letting go of one’s superiority…
…this is spiritual stuff indeed
As I said at very beginning of this message…
• Forgiveness is not optional if we would follow Jesus
• Our souls are destroyed if we do move into forgiveness-land
• As long as we deal with those who do wrong to us by any other means than forgiveness, we live in a lesser world
• We live in a world that doesn’t properly address evil
• A world that doesn’t adequately address human condition
• Either by making out that we’re more perfect than we are
• Or by making out that we’re less fallen than we are
If we don’t learn forgiveness
Of others, of our selves…
• We fight evil without the recourse to defeat it
• We keep seeing its power over us, over the earth
• We see it in this person, that person, ourselves, earth, universe…
• And as we see it everywhere, we can do nothing but fear it
• We cannot overcome it
• We cannot dismiss it
• We cannot dismantle it
We can only weep
We can only condemn ourselves and others for complicity w/ evil
But if we will move into forgiveness-land…
• If we take our rightful places as citizens there…
• We will have a three-fold blessing
1. we will see God in other people
2. we will see God in ourselves
3. we will see God in a way bigger than we imagined
In forgiveness-land, we are changed
So as we conclude this appendix to our message on forgiveness…
I say again…
• Take your place as a citizen in this land
• You can do it
• The Spirit of God is in you
• And that Spirit is a forgiving Spirit
No matter the offense you have sustained
No matter the pain you have suffered…
• You are a forgiver
• It is in you
Take your place as a natural born citizen of forgiveness land