Forgiveness

Funny how things work. Long before the Aurora shootings, I was planning on these songs from Matthew West and Tenth Avenue North to be featured for a Music Monday post. But they take on a different tone now in the aftermath. All that I was planning on writing about these songs, forget about it.

Key verses:

And the important story “behind the music” to Forgiveness.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:21-22)

A dozen lives lost. A number that could rise in the coming days as doctors struggle to keep others alive. Seventy total shot. That is seventy times seven people directly affected: parents, siblings, spouses, children, and closest friends. Then there are those indirectly affected but only removed by a single degree of separation (more on that in another post). Add to those a full theater of witnesses.

Forgiving seventy times seven times sounds impossible. That’s the point. We need God’s grace to overcome our own reactions of anger, hatred and revenge. It sounds impossible, but it’s not. The video above testifies to the power of forgiveness. Another great example is that of the Amish in Pennsylvania who not only forgave a school shooter, but embraced his family through the pain of recovery. While that side of the story is well known, here’s an update from the other side to show just how powerful forgiveness can be.

Can we forgive James Holmes to the same degree? Even if we cannot, there is a merciful Father in heaven who can, as hard as it may be to fathom. Jesus died for him too.

Father, give me grace to forgive him. Help me to do the impossible.