Forgiveness

"Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.' "  
(Luke 23:34)
Image courtesy of www.ramdass.org



"Christ, you know it ain't easy
You know how hard it can be
The way things are going
They're going to crucify me."

So goes the chorus of the John Lennon classic, "The Ballad of John and Yoko."

And it's a lyric that resonates at some point with just about anyone. Because there will come that time when it seems the forces in one's world are conspiring against her. When, in response, a person needs to have the courage of her convictions -- that moment of undeniable clarity when she knows she must do what she does not want to do. For doing what is needed will likely incur great personal cost -- seemingly all that she has.

Understandably, such a moment can be extremely taxing and visible and lonely. But it can also be a time of sublime grace, as we perhaps connect with Our Savior and His cross for the first time in any visceral way. As we come to understand -- maybe for the first time -- what it really means to "have our own cross to bear."

At times such as these, we are wise to follow the age-old counsel to "take up your cross and follow Christ." And in particular, to follow Christ's story and Christ's example of how He perceived and bore His cross in order to gain guidance and support in bearing our own.

For example, from the passion of Christ we come to understand:
1) That not everything is fair or just
2) That betrayal perhaps hurts the most
3) That leaders and their motives are often misunderstood
4) That ignorance prevails more oft' than it should
5) That we are asked to take on more than we feel we can bear
6) That despite all this, our Lord is there!

Yes, we can (and we should) take great comfort in knowing we have a God who does understand how it feels -- that we are not alone. In fact, we probably are never more supported or "carried" than in times such as these. So, yes, John Lennon, Christ does know "it ain't easy," and, yes, Christ does know "how hard it can be." And that's why Christ's example of humbly embracing a cross He did not earn yet amazingly accepted with a loving, merciful, and forgiving heart is even more convicting to those who strive to tred His path. The sublime strength of will and humility of heart to express -- amid great personal suffering -- "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" is something to truly amaze, marvel, and deeply ponder. . . .

Do we possess comparable strength of soul to raise a similar prayer from our forgiving hearts for those associated with the crosses we must bare in this world?

For perhaps our biggest takeaway from Christ's example is that it never really was about the suffering or the injustice or the misunderstandings anyway. Those are all just part of the human condition on this planet it seems. No, the major understanding that we need to derive from even our most challenging moments is this:  that when all is said and done, love and mercy and forgiveness prevail.  
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Dear Lord,
It is so easy to play the role of victim and overlook my own contributions to the problems at hand in my life and in this world. Please help me to see with Your eyes and take steps down Your path, so that, in even in my most severe of trials, I can see those around me not so much as adversaries but rightly as Your Children and My Brothers and Sisters. Despite our differences or offenses -- real or perceived --  please help me to cultivate a forgiving, merciful, and loving heart so that I may live ever more in peace and joy, and so that You may increasingly use me as an instrument of Your ongoing love letter to the world.  

In Your Mighty Name, I pray.
Amen.