How often do you hear a call to forgiveness and reconciliation these days? How often do you hear a call to repentance these days?
We hear many calls for justice and justice is indeed important. What is justice? Is it vengeance in our modern minds? I think we think it is very much the same. Justice is seen as punishment. Does the white community bristle at the thought of justice in regards to our historical relationship with black Americans? Are we afraid of vengeance? Are we afraid we could be treated as poorly? Segments of the white community are very quick to move along from this history without any desire to seek forgiveness and reconciliation. This will increase the draw of vengeance.
Forgiveness is also a trigger to many raised in strict Christian homes and churches that demanded wrongs be forgiven without much or any acknowledgement of what needed to be forgiven. Forgiveness has to admit a wrong was done; it is not glossing over the wrong. That is what many call 'cheap forgiveness and I completely agree. It isn't real and in these situations it is a further abuse of the one wronged. Sometimes through our training this can become self-induced to make sure we appease the angry god that is perceived.
Terms highly valued within the Gospel need a redemption in a culture saturated in the language used in hypocritical ways. Forgiveness is one of these and is central to the Gospel. Forgiveness can change the world but it is not easy. We are judged by the standards we judge others. I don't see this as about hell, it is about how we are actually experienced by others. This isn't a bad thing; it shows us who people are and if they are safe. If a person is bitter towards another they can become bitter towards us. A mentor of mine says "forgiveness, in essence, is releasing others of payback for the injustice they perpetuated." Often those we seek to forgive will not see the wrong that they did, this stings like crazy! What is the value of waiting for them to get there? What if they never do? Does holding on make your life better? Not many of us can forgive like Christ from the cross forgave his murderers. That is okay. Life is a process.
Forgiveness cannot always lead to reconciliation as in cases of abuse, getting out off the situation is the priority and owning the pain has to be a prerequisite to any genuine forgiveness. No has the right to tell you to forgive but bitterness will become a cancer in your soul. Forgiveness is not about a lack of self-respect, it lightens our burdens.
Forgiveness is NOT archaic. It changes the world because it is so counter-cultural to virtually every paradigm by which the world runs. It admits we all are need of forgiveness at different times in this life. This leads us to the other counter-cultural vision of humility. We have great difficulty with the humiliation we feel when we recognize the wrong we commit. Pride and denial are much easier in the short run. When we are forgiven it is easier to extend that forgiveness to others. When we can see our own need for healing, we can see it in others. This makes our empathy and compassion grow; when these grow, love becomes possible. Most pain inflicted in this world is by those in their own pain. Love is the only power that truly changes the world; it embarresses and shames the powers that cry out for vengeance.
Seeking forgiveness also stands ready for it to be denied. This is unbelievably difficult. Our ego is crucified in these moments as we stand there, guilty. Sometimes the wounded find bitterness to be a twisted balm to their wounds. This is not our duty to correct. There is also the hard work of forgiving ourselves. Ugh! The Gospel is extremely difficult! Actually, impossible apart from the Spirit. Thankfully, She has been poured out on all humanity.
In light of our cultural reckoning with #BlackLivesMatter, what if the white community sought forgiveness? What if we saw the pain a Confederate or perpetrator of genocides statue brings to the present? What if we work towards the needed changes together? I realize many are recognizing even if we are late to the party. What if we take the risk of not being forgiven and still maintained our need of it? What if we humble ourselves and trusted that God could bring about healing amongst our common humanity.What if all cultures within this world recognized the need for self-examination and the various injustices in need of forgiveness?
If we can't forgive, we will allow bitterness to carry us to murderous thoughts. And those thoughts can lead to actions. I pray we all recognize the need for it is universal. Hubris cannot live besides humility. Hubris is a prerequisite to murderous thoughts as well. "God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble." James 4:6
The Gospel works at its best when it is counter-cultural, it's less comfortable.Love is hard. We are foolish to believe the Lord endorses our worldly systems. They are the modern day Tower of Babel and we can see that we truly don't understand what others are saying. The self-sacrificing love of God can give us ears to hear and eyes to see.