Father, Forgive Them

I had another post started that I intended to post tonight, but then today happened.

This morning I got blindsided by someone-in a way that, frankly, can be taken no other way than that it was intended to be deliberately hurtful. The message they sent was troubling in and of itself, but the way in which it was sent was injurious-to say the least.

And I have to admit that, initially, I was angry and hurt.

And the anger and pain burdened me-weighed me down-for quite a while today. To the point where I recognized that I was somewhere in that no-man's land between injury and hate, between pain and bitterness, hurt and rage.

And so, there in my office, I stopped, examined myself, and made a conscious effort to forgive. I determined in my heart that they were forgiven-whether they desired forgiveness or not; whether they cared or not.

And now, I'm free. It reminds me of a post from a few weeks ago, and so I went back and reread it. And realized that to forgive doesn't satiate the thirst for vengeance or justice, but it does loose the self-imposed bonds that the come with carrying the hurt.

Luke chapter 23 tells the story of Christ's crucifixion. Verse 34 contains one of the most powerful statements in the Bible, I think:

"Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

With that, I think Jesus said all that needed to be said. They hurt Him-deliberately. They despised Him, and treated him worse than a common criminal. They mocked Him.

But Christ interceded on their behalf, because they were simply too blind to understand what they were doing.

And so those, today, who inflicted pain, probably did so on purpose. And perhaps they even despise us.

But I think they're probably too blind to see what they are doing. So, I forgive them.

And for that, I'm free.