FORGIVENESS
11th Dec 2013
With the death of Nelson Mandela, suddenly ‘forgiveness’ is in all the newspapers. The peaceful transfer of power in South Africa, and the record of Mandela’s remarkable life is being analysed and discussed everywhere.
It is significant that this focus on ‘forgiveness’ comes so near to the festive season of Christmas, as it is also the time when families are drawn together to share and celebrate. Despite the adverts on TV of happy families enjoying themselves, having great fun and harmony; the fact is that Christmas is the time when there is most discord, strife and violence within family life!
When we have little or no contact with our families it is easy to allow broken relationships, bitterness and misunderstanding to remain dormant. When we are thrown together we have to face up to realities. This does not sound very cheerful, does it?
However, I felt the Lord prompting me to encourage you to use this Christmas season to mend broken relationships and to build strength into family life. An account of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that followed the end of Apartheid written by Desmond Tutu has the title, “No Future without Forgiveness.” The fact is that unforgiveness is a prison, which can hold people bound longer than Mandela was on Robben Island!
Jesus said, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)
There are those who feel that not forgiving someone will act as a punishment for their wrong doing, when they are the ones who suffer. There is a saying, “Unforgiveness is like you drinking poison and hoping someone else will die.”
The message of the angel was, “On earth peace, goodwill toward all men.” You have a wonderful opportunity this Christmas not only to build and enrich your family, but also to restore peace and harmony to broken relationships through forgiveness.
Paul wrote it like this, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesian 4:32)
by Charles Sibthorpe
