Generations of Forgiveness Lost

Scripture

“So he said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, may your name be revered as holy. May your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.””
(Luke 11:2-4 NRSV)  

Generations of Forgiveness Lost

I burst into an ironic laugh as I meditated on Jesus’ teaching his disciples to pray.  He tells them to say “And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us”. I laughed then because I find that a hard line to pray at the best of times. 

We’ve all been grieving at the horror of events in Israel and Gaza. If you are like me, perhaps the pain is also mixed with confusion – what the root causes or solutions are remain a mystery. Lots of opinions are offered but the polarities are so extreme and the hatred is rooted in thousands of years of history.  

On reflection I wondered how different the world would be if in all the centuries of generations before, someone had the impulse to forgive and not avenge? It’s a warning to me and all around me that the seeds of conflict only grow more entrenched and destructive when the desire to forgive is not naturally part of our human nature. 

When we assign names to others to diminish not respect them, we are complicit in this unforgiving human trait. We see and experience schisms in families and in our towns and cities. Leaders who have words of forgiveness are few and far between – we have an opportunity to encourage this. 

A Prayer for Today

Loving God, you became one of us in Jesus to reconcile us to You and one another. The brutality of our world shocks us – don’t let it desensitize us. Let the call to forgive motivate us to do the same, keeping short accounts with one another. When serious issues divide us let us find ways toward reconciliation.   …. For Jesus’ sake