"True forgiveness is difficult for us because it involves sacrifice, we have to give up something."

Forgiveness

When we are sorely tested, do we truly practice the forgiveness that Jesus preached?

In October of 2006, in a tiny hamlet of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Charlie Roberts, a local milk truck driver, broke into an Amish one room school house and shot and killed 10 Amish schoolgirls aged 6-13, before turning the gun on himself.

The shock and grief over the death of the schoolgirls extended far beyond the quiet Amish community. Media from all over the country descended upon this small rural community to report on the story. The day after the shooting, 1600 people gathered at a local church to pray for the young victims. Thousands of sympathy cards, letters, teddy bears and other gifts poured in from all over the world. Over four million dollars was raised through various funds to support the families.

But the part of the story that is less well known is the response of the Amish community to the tragedy.

Nine years earlier, Charlie Roberts lost his first child, a baby girl, 20 minutes after she was born. He blamed God for this and never got over the grief of his loss. In his mind, he needed to get revenge against God by killing innocent Christian schoolgirls.

The afternoon of the shooting, within hours of the event, Amish neighbors visited the Roberts family to offer Roberts' wife comfort in her sorrow and pain. The Amish community responded not with rage or finger-pointing, but with compassion and forgiveness.

The Amish culture follows the teachings of Jesus. Our Lord taught us to forgive one another, to place the needs of others above our own, and to rest in the knowledge that God is in control and can bring good out of any situation.

Even when it seems that evil has gained the upper hand.

Every September we hold our breath, wondering if this is the year we will experience another 9/11. The forces of terror seem to be running unchecked in the world. Innocent people are being turned from their homes, persecuted, and even killed for their faith. We are subjected to horrific images of brutal executions, all calculated to make us give in to fear and lose hope.

Riots and protests dominate the news. Violence seems to be increasing across the country as hate and intolerance pushes out love and forgiveness.

And then there is the various scandals that plague the Church. Many of those in whom we have placed our trust, appear to have betrayed that trust. We are hurt, angry, and look for relief.

As a nation we are more likely to respond with outrage and a desire for revenge. It is natural for us, when confronted with crime, corruption and scandal to want to hold those responsible to account for their actions. And while justice is always desirable, it must be tempered with charity and compassion. The message God has for us today is not the one we want to hear.

We would like to hear words of comfort for our mourning. We would like to hear words of solace for our hurt. We would like to hear words that assure us of justice for the harm we have suffered. But those are not the words God has for us today.

As we pray for those who are still persecuted for their faith, and those victims of corruption, we turn to God for understanding. But instead of giving us understanding, Jesus tells us to forgive. Not just once or twice or seven times; we are told to forgive every time our brothers and sisters sin against us.

Why?

We find the answer in other words of Jesus, the prayer He taught us. "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." God will forgive our sins against Him to the degree we forgive those who have sinned against us.

Sacrifice

True forgiveness involves sacrifice.

In 1610, King Henri IV of France was assassinated. His son Louis was too young to rule and so the queen, Marie de Medici became regent. As the years passed a rift developed between Marie and her son, a rift that grew into open hostility. When Louis became king, Marie was exiled to a distant province.

Cardinal Richelieu had enjoyed the queen's favor and owed much of his political power and position to her. But when she was exiled he chose to side with Louis. While the cardinal was instrumental in reconciling mother and son, Marie never forgave the Cardinal for siding against her.

On her deathbed, Marie was visited by a priest who encouraged her to forgive those who had hurt her. Marie vowed to forgive all her enemies, including Cardinal Richelieu.

The priest asked, “madam, as a sign of reconciliation, will you send the cardinal the bracelet you wear on your arm?”

“No,” replied the queen in a strong, firm voice, “that would be too much.”

True forgiveness is difficult for us because it involves sacrifice, we have to give up something. We have to let go of the thing that stands between us and the example Christ has given us. It may not be a piece of jewelry, but something we hold in even greater value, our pride, our sense of justice, or our desire for revenge.

Pride can lead us, and those closest to us, into sin. Our sense of justice should be tempered with love and compassion. And revenge, is best left to God.

“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive.” -Dalai Lama XIV

Pax Vobiscum
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Pontifex University is an online university offering a Master’s Degree in Sacred Arts. For more information visit the website at www.pontifex.university

Lawrence Klimecki, MSA, is a deacon in the Diocese of Sacramento. He is a public speaker, writer, and artist, reflecting on the intersection of art and faith and the spiritual “hero’s journey” that is part of every person’s life. He maintains a blog at www.DeaconLawrence.org and can be reached at Lawrence@deaconlawrence.com

Lawrence draws on ancient Christian tradition to create new contemporary visions of sacred art. For more information on original art, prints and commissions, Please visit www.DeaconLawrence.org 

Purchase fine art prints of Deacon Lawrence’s work here.