Forgiveness -Part 2
Recently I was listening to a podcast from 2009. This is one in a series which I have listened to many times over the years. The speaker’s theme is forgiveness and his presentation one which has greatly informed my understanding and outworking of the subject. One thing is clear - it is not easy and it costs. In the podcast the speaker refers to the old video game of Pong. Remember those early days of video games played on an Atari console? In its day it was a “go-to game”; today though, it looks more than antiquated, although the principle of the game has not changed. One player is pitted against another and the aim is to return a rectangular object which increases in speed as the play proceeds. It's just like tennis except it is on a computer and instead of a circular object to return it is an elongated one. I’m sure you get the idea.
In many ways this game imitates life when it comes to dealing with hurt and pain: if we received it, well…they’re going to get it back!!!! Maybe even faster and harder than how they gave it. You can see where I am going here. Transferred into life, we have to ask the question: “Does this get us anywhere, of a positive nature?” Is anyone better off in the situation?
On the cross Luke records Jesus saying, “Forgive them Father, for they don’t know what they are doing”. These words are on Jesus’s lips in his last moments of life. Can you imagine that? If the story were to end there then all we would be left to say is: "Well there goes a noble man, even in his death he was magnanimous". But that isn’t the end of the story because as the Bible states, this Jesus was raised from the dead, so from this point death was not an end but a new beginning. Can you imagine that in your life? Can you imagine that in your situation? Can you begin to imagine that those things you have long held onto will no longer define who you are, but rather, when you allow them to stop at the cross, new life is possible? In order for resurrection to occur, there needs be death, but not one that leads to an end. Jesus has promised new life and his resurrection proclaims this with clarion call.