Forgiveness Day 12

Forgive them Father for they know not what they do. As Jesus hung dying on the cross.

If we could look at every situation the way Jesus looked at humanity that day, wouldn’t our world be a better place.

Forgiveness is remembering that we are all HUMAN. That we are susceptible to temptations, ignorance, laziness, selfishness and pride.

That we are creatures with fluid emotions and differing levels of tolerance. We often hurt people without realizing we have and we are easily offended.

Satan loves to play here.

When was the last time you intentional decided to hurt someone? Either by words or actions? In what you did or did not do?

Truth is we hurt each other all the time. We are human! We take things the wrong way. We are prideful, our way is always the right way! We are impatient with others and ourselves. We are easily angered and always ready to think the worst of others.

HUMAN!

I think the key to forgiveness starts with self-knowledge. The more we know ourselves, see our own sinful tendencies, the easier it is to see sinful tendencies in others. When we start at the basic premise that all are flawed, it is easier to have compassion for our shared human weakness.

So the question then becomes, why do we find it easier to forgive some and not others?

We all have at least ONE person in our lives that just irks us. We hold on the hurts of the past, either by word or deed or both. If it comes to mind, it causes a physical reaction and immediate resolve of I will not forgive. Then the litany starts of who did what to whom.

We Are Human!!

As we grow in spiritual maturity, we see the futileness of this way of circular thinking but are still not able to move past it.

It helps if we can look at every situation through the lenses of the cross. We can learn many things by contemplating the facets of the cross.

Remember the cross was the ultimate humiliating torturous, public display of what your crime against another/ society cost you.

Isn’t that what we want to do to that one person or those in our lives who have wronged us? We want the whole world to know what they did and be humiliated by their behavior and choices so that we can be vindicated!!!!

Now remember there is someone out there that thinks the same end would be justice for you!

Puts it into perspective, huh?

When we accept that all flawed, weak, easily deceived, emotional fluid human beings THEN we begin to have compassion for ourselves and others as well.

When our thinking becomes different about suffering at the hands of another we remember Jesus enduring all and try to say as Our Lord did;

Father forgive them as they know not what they do.

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