Forgiveness. One of the hardest things for us to do, at times. Mostly because we think of forgiveness as forgetfulness, and they aren’t the same thing. Forgiveness doesn’t make us a doormat to be stepped on, or a fool to be hurt again. Rather, it does something even more powerful. It frees us. It releases the effect of someone else’s sin on our lives. All too often, the person who has hurt us or offended us in some way is just living rent-free in our heads. They may not even remember the injury or even think of you in their daily lives. But here we are, holding a grudge and clinging to that anger or hurt.
By choosing to forgive we allow God to enter more fully into our lives. All too often we are more concerned with justice than mercy. In the act of forgiving, we don’t forget the sin. We name it. We bring it to the front of the conversation. It doesn’t mean we sweep it under the rug and pretend it didn’t happen, nor does it mean that somehow now we are just OK with it. It points to the sin, acknowledges its presence in our lives. Justice is fulfilled in mercy, God’s mercy. The mercy that is received has an even greater effect upon the one who is doing the forgiving, than the one who has been forgiven.
Mercy is the way that God removes the hurt from our lives. The weight of the injury from our shoulders. It, simply put, heals. We should take some time to reflect today on those we most need to forgive. Who are they and what did they do to offend you? Then, no matter how hard it may be, let us offer mercy, and at least begin the process of forgiving by going to God and saying, “I have this burden, help me to release it.” The mercy we offer brings forth the justice of God, a justice that we could never accomplish alone. This act of forgiving not only frees us from the burden of that sin but also helps us to be forgiven with the same mercy which we forgave.
A reflection on the readings for Tuesday of the 1st Week in Lent: March 8th, 2022