Forgiven

My Bible study group studied Phillip Yancy's book, What's So Amazing About Grace. Yancy told stories that expressed different ways people have shown grace to others as well as how God exhibits grace to us. Many of the accounts made a significant impact on me and my way of thinking. One in particular really helped me think about grace and forgiveness.

This story is of two missionaries who were working with a group of Polish Christians a few years after World War II. The missionaries told the Poles that a group of German Christians wanted to meet with them so that they could apologize for what their people did to Poland. One Pole fiercely declared that they could not possibly forgive the Germans or even be expected to do so. He said that every brick, every street of Warsaw was drenched with Polish blood. How could they ever forgive the ones who cause so much hurt?

To end the meeting the group said the Lord’s Prayer. When they got to “forgive us our debts as we have forgiven…,” the group stopped praying. The man who earlier had spoken so intensely said, “Of course we will meet with them. We must. God will only forgive us as much as we are willing to forgive others.” Over a year later the two groups met and formed a lasting friendship.

Whenever I read this story, I think about how God gave the ultimate gift to us by allowing Jesus to be crucified. God must have wanted to rant and rave against all humanity while watching his child die. Instead of reacting out of anger and disgust, God continues to offer us grace.

In John 12:44-45 (The Message) Jesus says:

Whoever believes in me, believes not just in me but in the One who sent me.
Whoever looks at me is looking, in fact, at the One who sent me. I am Light
that has come into the world so that all who believe in me won't have to
stay any longer in the dark.

Forgiveness freed the Poles from their pain and anger, just as it can free us. All we have to do is turn to God and let go of all these feelings.


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