“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”  
- Luke 23:34

More profound words have never been spoken.  Forgiveness is such an important part of our journey of faith.  Our practice of faith includes forgiveness on a number of levels.  We need to forgive those who have hurt us.  We need to forgive ourselves when we have hurt others.  We need to receive forgiveness from others and most importantly from God.  But sometimes that is hard to do.  We tend to hold onto grudges and quickly forget the admonishment from Jesus to forgive.  We tend to hold onto our sin and guilt rather than accept forgiveness when it is offered.  It is so very simple in theory, yet so very complicated in practice.   And yet each Sunday as we recite the Lord’s Prayer, we are reminded…Forgive us our debts (sins) as we forgive our debtors (those who have sinned against us).  It is central to living the Christian life.

It is important that we keep this idea of forgiveness close as we begin the season of Lent.  It is a season where we intentionally look closely at our need to repent from all that separates us from God and to accept the grace we have already been given in Jesus Christ.  In the act of turning away from our sin and guilt, we actually begin to turn our hearts toward God.  It prepares us to receive the full blessing of Jesus’ Resurrection.

As Jesus was hanging on the cross, his first thought was to forgive those who were killing him.  How profound is that love?  It is a love that knows no boundaries and extends to us the possibility for restoration and hope in our life together.   I am sure we all have folks we need to forgive, and we have those we need to ask for forgiveness.  Now is the time!  For in the act of forgiveness, we live out the grace of Jesus Christ.   Arden Mead writes this short piece of prose in reflecting on Jesus’ act of forgiveness at the cross:

 “This is where we learn how, isn’t it?
  This is also where we learn why
   And who and whom…
    And when…and where
     But mostly how.”

It is all part of our Lenten journey!  May you discover the depth of God’s forgiveness in this season of hope.

See you in Church,
Rev. Thom Lamb