“To rational, logical minds, extraordinary forgiveness is shocking and, to some, even offensive. It goes against all our instincts.”- June Hunt
As June Hunt continues Chapter 4 of How to Forgive, she notes that competition, not forgiveness, is pervasive in our culture. Even those who believe in forgiveness attach all kinds of qualifiers- conditions (for bestowing forgiveness) of their own creation.
Our merciful God sent Jesus to be the sacrifice for our sins. June explains a second purpose God had in sending Jesus to earth:
“Thankfully, the time Jesus lived on earth served another purpose as well: to provide a living, breathing example of what forgiveness looks like. Everything He did and said was an attempt to explain it and exemplify it. . . . Jesus was always willing to forgive- always. We rarely feel like forgiving. We’re reluctant to forgive. We struggle. We clasp our fingers tightly around the tiniest pebble of offense. But not Jesus.”
June believes that, without a proper understanding of God’s unconditional forgiveness, it’s nearly impossible to forgive someone who has deeply hurt us. Ms. Hunt reminds us that God wants our specks of sand as well.
The author explains that aggregates, like sandy gravel and crushed stone, add strength to whatever substance in which they are mixed- like cement. But specks of sand have no purpose if they’re in your eyes or shoes. Forgiveness must be complete:
“We are called to forgive as we have been forgiven- completely. Not a speck of spite remaining. When you give your miniscule grudges to God, the Master Builder, He will mix your painful experiences into His master plan to construct the path that is right for you. Realize that even specks of sand can accumulate and make for a heavy load- even specks we don’t think are important.”
Today’s question: What has helped you grasp the extraordinary forgiveness of God? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Extraordinarily loved”
