Jesus appends to the Lord’s Prayer an additional saying: “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you.” In doing so, he emphasizes the petition about seeking and giving forgiveness for “trespasses.” Forgiveness goes to the heart of a godly life. This text comes on the sixth anniversary of the massacre at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston. The courtroom scene where the survivors spoke of their pain and sorrow while extending forgiveness to the perpetrator changed the narrative of that horrific event. When the truth is confronted genuine reconciliation can occur. When we think of the ills in our family, city, country that pattern should be followed — name the truth of what happened and its consequence as the path to genuine forgiveness.
JUNE172021
By Church Staff
