God can create the universe. God can save the world. God can forgive sins. We, on the other hand, cannot create the universe or save the world. However, we can forgive. In fact, according to Jesus we must forgive over and over and over again. Forgiveness is hard. We are reluctant to forgive because it can feel like we are somehow or other giving the perpetrator a “pass” for the harm he or she inflicted on us. But the reality is that as long as we hold onto resentment, the perpetrator still has power over us. Only by forgiving do we liberate ourselves. That is why forgiveness is at the heart of the Christian life, woven into the Lord’s Prayer that we say everyday.
