Preachers had a daunting task yesterday as we sought to
offer a word of lament, consolation, and hope after the carnage of recent
weeks. Words are what we have to offer,
although in humility we know they are not enough.
I preached at the University
Baptist Church in Baltimore, a venerable congregation just across the street
from Johns Hopkins. I chose to preach on
forgiveness, a challenging spiritual practice in these fracturing times. The new pastor, Dr. Tom Harrington, had
projected a series on “next steps” in discipleship. It seemed to me that the next step we all
need to take is the strenuous work of forgiveness.
I used John 20:21-23 as my text, a
post-resurrection appearance that includes a commissioning. Jesus offers a greeting of peace, he breathes
the Holy Spirit upon them, and he charges them to practice forgiveness, just as
he has. The whole of his ministry has
revolved around proclaiming and embodying forgiveness.
The gift of the Spirit makes
forgiveness possible, and the community enacts forgiveness to continue Jesus’
work in the world. I am always amazed
when persons of faith proclaim their willingness to forgive shortly after a
traumatic event. Most of us require a
longer journey.
Paul Fiddes calls forgiveness a
voyage of anguish and discovery, whereby we face the pain we have caused or
experienced and learn the depths of what the other has felt. Gregory Jones has
suggested that forgiveness does not merely refer backward to the absolution of
guilt; it also looks forward to the restoration of community. Such is an urgent need in our time.
We usually think there is an
appropriate order to the process of forgiveness: we will forgive when our
nemesis repents. This is not God’s
order, however. God forgives long before
repentance occurs; the cross is supremely a manifestation of divine
forgiveness. Rather than asking how can
we forgive if the other does not repent, perhaps we should ask how one might
repent if we do not forgive?
The church should be the place
where forgiveness is best embodied. How
can persons believe that God forgiveness if the people of God do not practice
forgiveness? Year ago I witnessed the
power of the Christian community to restore a person. A prominent man in our church committed a
crime, was publicly humiliated, lost his medical practice, and was sent to
prison. His Sunday School class rallied
around him; sending him notes, visiting him, and reminding him that he was
beloved.
When he was released, he was welcomed
back into the community, and before too long, was invited to serve as a deacon
once again. This congregation made all
the difference for him, and he became the most merciful person imaginable.
When we remember that we have been
forgiven much, we can better offer this grace to others. Forgiveness is literally the most loving and
powerful practice of all. Jesus
instructs us not to “retain” the sins of others.
Molly T. Marshall
Central prepares creative leaders for diverse ministry
contexts.
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