The Power of Forgiveness...

This is something we can often forget as we get so caught up in confidence in the Word of God, apologetics, theological strength of the Bible and so on. This is all good and helpful and so on. But forgiveness is something so powerful that totally goes against what the world has to say about how we respond to others hurting us, sinning against us, whatever. All sorts of things that the world shouts ‘Revenge!’ at us. Part of that comes from our sense of Justice which CS Lewis so clearly argues in the opening chapters of ‘Mere Christianity’ comes from God. But our deceptive hearts (Mark 7:21-23, Jeremiah 17:9) twist that to jealousy, revenge and back biting, amongst other such unsavoury things we are all so often capable of. But we see Jesus forgiving left right and centre. Brother Andrew makes it his priority to offer forgiveness to the Muslims he reaches out to. See this talk at least from Forum 2007, and just read all his great books! It’s so powerful! It messes with people’s minds...we ask for their forgiveness! Listen to this talk from Dr Richard Winter.

The gospels are littered full of parables and Jesus’ teachings on this. I will myself listen to these talks again and come back with a more biblical blog post. And I’ll read through all of the gospels to find the aforementioned parables and teachings from Jesus. But recently talking through with different friends, I realise again just how powerful it is. I struggle to communicate what I mean again trying to repeat words said last Saturday. They aren’t really coming! Ask me in person if you would like to discuss it and get excited about the Gospel together.

But what other religion offers such love and unconditional forgiveness? Can you think of one that compares to what we freely receive? So many arguments and disputs could so easily solved by us putting aside our pride, and apologising for our part –however small- and asking forgiveness. Our pride so often gets in the way. Think of all the films or cartoons that the whole story is based upon two estranged people that both think the other is to blame, and should be the first to apologise. The film ends when, by whatever the plot is, the one of them having the guts to say sorry –probably after some near death incident- which then immediately results in the other stumbling over themselves to take not just thier part of the blame, but often all of it!


Imagine the conversation...here goes me attempt at writing out the one in my mind:

Chap 1: Look, all this, really all my fault. I should’ve ........... I was really .........
Chap 2: No no, it was really my fault. I shouldn’t have ............... If I hadn’t, you wouldn’t have ............. . I was out of order.
Chap 1: But you wouldn’t have had to if only I had .......... I’m very sorry for my actions.
Chap 2: No, I’m the one who should be sorry..... etc!

These two are very polite in their delivery, but can you picture us in our lives living this out?
Asking forgiveness, motivated by the forgiveness we have received and a desire to reconcile (I love that word. I might have to even write a blog on it!), even when it is not deserved, will convict the other of their own need. It heals us and the hurt inside us.

And Reading University Campus needs to hear about this forgiveness. We all secretly long for it:

“I wonder what I’d do, if I could wake up every morning, with a clean slate.”
Keane, ‘Pretend That You’re Alone’, Perfect Symmetry

Well, you know what? You can. God loved us so much that He sent His only Son to die in our sins, and gives us new life having broken the chains of sin, making us slaves of righteousness -and then, not slaves, but as Jesus said, 'friends', even 'brothers' (John 15:15, and somewhere else I'm not sure of...)

Yes theology is great. Yes apologetics works. But at Reading, I feel people here don’t all (many do, which we welcome very much so!) care about the historicity of the Gospel of Mark. They care about love, security, acceptance, exam stress, sex, relationships, freedom, peace... forgiveness. They don’t always realise this, but that’s what people here think about, and they are questions we all have. Most people aren't philosophers, and if we are reaching the whole of campus, we need to engage with the questions that people secretly have. The reasons they drink their loans away, sleep around, get consumed by a social group of club that has no real value, pursue acceptance and glory in sports teams, so many things which are in themselves great things -sports, drinks, money, relationships, sex, friendship, lock picking. But when they get into our sinful hands....we make idols of them (See Will Eley's 'Idol Chatter'). We need to show that we have those questions too, but a different answer to them....Jesus’ blood. Grace. Forgiveness.

More on that when I get hold of the NWA 09 seminar talks...I will return to this issue with Biblical ammunition...but don’t hold your breath! Go listen and read for yourself, and unleash the power of forgiveness to the people around your and mend broken relationships. Do it now. The blog won't have been updated and will still be here when you get back...