Forgive Them

What an incredible thing the gospel writers record Jesus as having said, as he was being put up on the cross: "forgive them." Jesus asked that the people who were causing his life on earth to end to be forgiven. Jesus, it seems, realizes that the people who were doing this did not realize what they are actually doing. That is really powerful stuff.

It is difficult enough for me to try to forgive someone who does something small against me, even when they ask for forgiveness. To ask forgiveness be given to people who are causing someone to die . . . that's just unfathomable.

Nevertheless, followers of Christ are given an example, a goal of what to shoot for. So, we are to forgive.

To forgive when someone seriously harms and/or abuses our son or our daughter . . . to forgive when we are unfairly not offered a job or a promotion . . . to forgive when people would rather talk behind our backs than talk to our faces . . . to forgive when someone's words are offensive and full of bigotry and hate . . . and to forgive when the one who has wronged us neither realizes it nor asks for forgiveness.

Can we forgive in these sorts of instances, and in all things? I don't know. Perhaps a good first step, especially in the most difficult of circumstances, is to just not lash out in anger, or in rage, or in jealousy, or in spite. If we can try to wrap our heads around that, then we are on the path of forgiveness.

We must also come to understand that forgiveness is not just something we are to extend to others. We must extend it to ourselves, too. So, "forgive them" also becomes "forgive myself."