For all our church-up lives we
have bumped up against forgiveness. We
are told, not only that forgiveness is basic and immutable divine nature, but
also that God's forgiveness is offered directly and specifically for and to us.
Until we allow this promise to be true, there is no plausible hope of
forgiveness extending through us, toward others.
Once it begins to flow – once
the joy of our own forgiven selves is revealed in the ordinary and painful
circumstances of our daily lives – we begin to comprehend, little by little,
how much freedom and peace there is in letting go of all the unforgiveness that
weighs heavily on our lives. As this mountain of forgiving grace raises us
above anxiety and distress, we come to a place where we can begin to trade our
own expectations for something larger.
This expansive exchange is the
place where hope is born. Not a lesser hope of our own little expectations
dressed-up in their Sunday best, but the grand unfolding of creation's
intricate promise. It is here that we must be willing to forgive the final
burden to our joy: reality.
That's right. Until we can allow
the unpredictable, sometimes-painful, and always-surprising nature of our own
particular reality’s carpet to roll out without judgment or condemnation,
forgiveness' ultimate gift will continue to remain just beyond our reach. The
amazing paradox of forgiving reality is that it is both an end and a beginning;
for when we can find a path toward forgiving reality, all other forgiveness is woven
into and enriched through this journey.
© 2015 Todd Jenkins
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