Third Pathway – Genuinely Extending Forgiveness –
Part II
Second, in New York nearly two decades
ago, a permanently wheelchair bound victim appeared at a sentencing hearing of
a young man who dropped a brick from a highway overpass onto her
windshield. Upon impact, she immediately
loss control of her vehicle and suffered substantive injuries resulting in her
paralysis. Fortunately, this woman
survived the life-threatening accident of that fateful day. An adolescent at the time with an undeveloped
brain and incomplete cognitive and emotional maturity, this young man and his
friends inexplicably concluded dropping rocks from that perch above a
well-traveled and fast-paced interstate highway would be fun. Their extremely warped idea of fun severely
limited this woman’s life. Thankfully,
their regrettable and dastardly deed did not end her life and the lives of
other motorists and passengers within the vicinity. Providentially, it created another seminal
lesson of forgiveness for future generations.
This woman asked the judge to impose a
lenient and merciful sentence upon the young man. She said, “Young man, you did an awful and
very bad thing. Many people wish to
punish you harshly. However, I choose
not to give up on you. I still believe
that you can and will make something of your life. That’s why I am asking the judge to be
merciful upon you.” News reports of this
encounter between victim and victimizer at the sentencing hearing recorded the
startling fact that there was not a dry eye in the courtroom. Including the judge who was known to be
unrelenting, everyone present was moved to tears as they witnessed such an
incredible demonstration of forgiveness.
Whereas we can never know that young man’s destiny will be, we do know
that his victim’s genuine forgiveness enables him to achieve a future redemptive
purpose. This deed of forgiveness
brilliantly depicts the freedom a victim experiences when he or she releases
the right to demand recompense. Rather
than retributive justice, this woman chose a restorative and redemptive.
Third, on an occasion within my
pastoral work, I was present for a group therapy session in which a rape victim
shared about achieving forgiveness toward her rapist. Unbeknownst to her, she arrived at a meeting
and found him there. Albeit an emotional
outburst would have been understandable, she remained calm and did not escalate
the situation. She began to pray,
meditate and reflect upon her violation and perpetrator. She looked across the room and saw a very
sick, wounded, broken and frightened man whose reprehensible crime conceivably
emerged from his internal brokenness.
She characterized him as a “sick and broke child of God.” Furthermore, she spoke of her need and
obligation to forgive him notwithstanding his crimes. Her intentions and words fulfill New
Testament teachings that anyone seeking divine forgiveness must reciprocate
it. Still, I marvel when I recall its
authenticity. Her faith and spirituality
will forever challenge me and everyone else in that room to practice
forgiveness. Her unparalleled example of
forgiveness additionally reflects its power as a passageway to healing.
Love is the basis of forgiveness. The Gospel evangelists posit that Almighty
God sacrificially gives “His One and Only Begotten Son” as an unparalleled gift
of forgiveness. His atonement of
humankind’s sin demonstrates God’s faithful love for and reconciliation with
humanity. The Johannine evangelist
states these endlessly quoted words, “For God so loved the world that He gave
His One and Only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have
eternal life.” (John 3:16) The gift of Christ is an act of love and not
punishment. God in Christ overrides
humankind’s disobedience. Out of His
covenantal and loyal love, hesed, God
sends His Son to forgive, heal and reconcile.
“God is love.” It stands to reason that anyone who knows God
experientially and relationally knows His love.
This knowledge is evident when a disciple shares God’s love as
circumstances, challenges and crises demand.
As God responds to the crisis of unrepentant and unrelenting human sin
with love and forgiveness, anyone who knows His love willingly shares it. Practically speaking, a pastor in the
heartland of the United States learned of his wife’s longstanding affair. He inadvertently discovered evidence on social
media. She had posted a picture of a
recent formal dinner that she attended with her lover. This clergyperson’s close colleagues
admonished him to search deeply within his heart of hearts to ascertain whether
he still has a mustard seed’s worth of genuine love for his wife. If he possesses this inexplicable and
undeserving love for her, then he possesses an authentic understanding of God’s
love in Christ. His ego would not allow
him to forgive her; he simply did not possess the willpower to do so. His imaginations of her untoward actions
compel him to exact punishment to appease his severely wounded ego. Nevertheless, were he to love and forgive
her, he would demonstrate his understanding of Christ’s redemptive and
transformative love.
No comments:
Post a Comment