Chinese Proverb
At some thoughts one stands perplexed - especially at the sight of men's sin - and wonders whether one should use force or humble love. Always decide to use humble love. If you resolve to do that, once and for all, you can subdue the whole world. Loving humility is marvelously strong, the strongest of all things, and there is nothing else like it.
Fyodor Dostoevsky
'Probably no admonition of Jesus has been more difficult to follow than the command to love our enemies. Some people have sincerely felt that its actual practice is not possible. It is easy, they say, to love those who love you, but how can one love those who openly and insidiously seek to defeat you...?
Far from being the pious injunction of a Utopian dreamer, the command to love one's enemy is an absolute necessity for our survival. Love even for our enemies is the key to the solution of the problems of our world. Jesus is not an impractical idealist; he is the practical
realist...
Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction...
Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. We never get rid of an enemy by meeting hate with hate; we get rid of an enemy by getting rid of enmity. By its very nature, hate destroys and tears down; by its very nature, love creates and builds up. Love transforms with redemptive power.'
Martin Luther King from his book Strength to Love.
Forgiveness is not a new topic to any of us. But it is a topic that we must visit on again and again as we apply it's truth to our lives. There are times in my life where I am confused by situations and circumstances. The response that Christ requires of me is always the same. Sometimes I must give up the search for understanding in spite of feeling that it is so necessary for my forgiveness. Understanding may come at a later date and it may not. There are questions that I have waited years for an answer to and I may never receive those answers I crave. I came, years ago, to the realization that I may share a table in heaven with my enemies. Christ's forgiveness extends to them as steadily as it does to me.
I couldn't take communion on sunday as, sitting there hearing the invitation, I knew that my brother and sister in christ had a grievance with me. That I was holding on to a hurt in order to hurt them back. I miss out on the blessing of Christ because I could not forgive.
It was humbling. I pray that God heals my hard heart and shows me the way to forgiveness.
5 comments:
loved part 1 and now part 2..
"that i may share a table in heaven with my enemies.."..
wow. very powerful..
a couple of things stuck me as amazing in what you stated; 1. you openly admitted you could not forgive, for now, and that 2. your prayer to be able to forgive future.. yup another great example for me to follow!
it struck me that when we chose not to forgive we are removing our faith stance that God has forgiven ourselves and others and that he can change people and circumstances. it nullifies the power of God in our lives in the world. we quickly get stuck in bitterness with its host of results; a kind of spiritual cement boots.
"that i may share a table in heaven with my enemies.."..
This part stood out at me too. It is so hard to imagine that for me. It gives me shivers sometimes.
You also prayed "I pray that God heals my hard heart and shows me the way to forgiveness." You know I think He already has. Just by reading the conclussions that you have come to. The heart that you think is hard in fact is not. He has already led you down that path and you are taking all in. Good one. Very wise. I too enjoyed both 1 and 2. You are an amazing woman of Christ.
read this yesterday from luke:
Jesus said: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you...
I love these posts Sue.
the bitterness and hurt that comes along with not being able to forgive became almost debilitating to me. It hurt more to be hurt by my family in christ than by non-beleivers. It took years for God to work the forgiveness in me, mostly because it took me that long to let him.
Like Brander said:"it struck me that when we chose not to forgive we are removing our faith stance that God has forgiven ourselves and others and that he can change people and circumstances. it nullifies the power of God in our lives in the world."
YUP!
Very recently I had a conversation with one of my children that ended in this statement, "We are asked to choose forgiveness. To not choose is to perpetuate the sin, so that you also become the sinner and not just the one sinned against." It pierced my own heart as I said it.
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