“Forgive, as you have been forgiven...”
for Anthony.” Asked why she could forgive
her son’s killers, she said, “At the point of
death Jesus said, ‘Forgive them, for they
know not what they do.’” It seems almost
unthinkable to forgive the murderers of
one’s son but because she does Gee Walker
will be more whole and well in herself.
When we have a biƩer and angry spirit it
affects every part of us.
clear teaching of the New Testament is that
we must forgive. However, we cannot earn
forgiveness; it is made possible only through
Christ’s death on the Cross and our
willingness to forgive is evidence that we
know God’s forgiveness. Once we recognise
our need of unlimited forgiveness and have
received it, we must forgive others “from
the heart”, which means totally.
The examples of Robin Oake and Gee
Walker also remind me of the gracious
words of Gord on Wilson, praying
forgiveness for the IRA, the dust and blood
of the Enniskillen bombing sƟll on his face.
They also bring back memories of the remarkable Corrie Ten Boom - a lady who held
out her hand to shake the hand of the
German guard who had humiliated her in a
concentraƟon camp years before.
Forgiveness is an act of the will, we can
choose to offer forgiveness or withhold it. I
wonder, as you read this arƟcle, is there
someone who comes to mind whom you
need to forgive? Why not ask God to help
you to do just that? Robin Oake and Gee
Walker bear tesƟmony to this. Too oŌen an
unforgiving spirit, someƟmes going back a
long Ɵme, spoils relaƟonships in the home,
in the workplace, in the community or
wherever. As Lent approaches consider the
words of LamentaƟons: ‘Let us examine our
ways and test them and let us return to the
Lord’. Ask God to help you make forgiveness
a lifeƟme habit. We can forgive, not in our
own strength, but out of the overflow of
God’s forgiveness, ‘For He has rescued us
from the dominion of darkness and brought
us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in
whom we have
redempƟon, theforgiveness of sins.’ Colossians 1
Forgiveness is never easy but it is vital. We
are all human. We make mistakes and we
hurt each other. Unforgiveness is at the root
of so much anger, quarrelling, division,
slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.
Jesus tells us, in MaƩhew’ 18, that
forgiveness is crucial for all relaƟonships: for
marriage, family life, church life,
relaƟonships at work and in the community
and for our eternal desƟny Indeed, Jesus
commands His followers to offer unlimited
forgiveness - this is the reasonable response
to the unlimited forgiveness we have
received for our sins. But also, forgiveness is
necessary if we want to be forgiven. The
Your friend & Team
Rector, Gary Cregeen
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