Starting Over and Over

Real forgiveness is genuinely difficult to practice. How often do we fondly imagine we’ve forgiven someone only to find ourselves revisiting the hurt at a future date and realising that we had only buried the anger rather than thrown it away. It takes some doing to be cheerful, giving second and third chances and reconciling ourselves to knowing that there may be higher numbers than those. Here in India I see demonstrable new beginnings and a willingness to move forward after pain. I see it more clearly than in our western culture where we are swifter to say ‘that’s it, end of story, finished with you’ when things go badly wrong. 

There are still feuds and disputes of course, but I see here more clearly the love of the Lord Jesus to reach out and embrace and start over. I find myself genuinely amazed at the quiet acceptance of hurt and the very real, humble held out hands to regain a friendship. I have a lot to learn and a long way to go on this journey. I still quite enjoy being annoyed or upset and hanging on to faults and slights. Not a pretty sight. So I’m thankful to God for His everlasting patience and the wonder of His dear son searching us all out and setting our feet back on the kingdom road. Jesus took shame and spitting and yet looked on these folk in Jerusalem with yearning, asking them to turn to a life of faith in him even as he hung on the cross. 

What a Lord we serve. ‘Bear with each other and forgive one another ….. forgive as the Lord forgave you’ Colossians 3 v 13.