ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
June 24, 2025
Edwin Hubbell Chapin, a 19th-century preacher, wrote, “Never does the human soul appear so strong as when it forgoes revenge.” Powerful words! I wonder if it could be taken to a higher level, where we don’t simply forgo revenge but refrain from contemplating it? From the cross, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:24). I do not pretend to know what Jesus had been thinking in the moments before speaking those words, but in lesser challenging moments, I am pretty certain we’ve all pondered some revenge and retribution at one time or another. Yet what would it mean to continue to work on oneself, striving toward a place where forgiveness comes more and more naturally to us? Maybe it starts with the person who bumps into you at the grocery store and says nothing. But from there, what would it be like to forgive as easily as breathing? I know I have some work to do, but I look to Jesus, who I imagine found those words of forgiveness much easier than most. Remember, forgiving is not approval of what was done or even giving permission to be hurt again. Often, forgiveness is part of the process by which we build stronger boundaries. Yet with that said, I believe we would be healthier individuals and the world would be healthier if forgiveness was something we all could offer without too much time planning our revenge.
Help me, Merciful God! Allow me a glimpse of your immeasurable forgiveness as a reminder of what I am striving to do. Amen.
