“When you forgive someone, you are dancing to the rhythm of the divine heartbeat. . . . God invented forgiveness as the only way to keep his romance with the human race alive.” – Lewis Smedes
“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’ “- Matthew 18:21-22 (NIV)
In Chapter 8 (“Spiritual Surgery: Forgiveness’) of Everybody’s Normal . . ., John Ortberg stresses that community invokes an implicit promise. A promise of commitment and loyalty. That in a world of uncertainty, you can count on me. But breaking this promise also breaks someone’s heart.
Thus, to all the wonders God created, human beings added an invention of their own: revenge. Pastor Ortberg expands this thought:
” ‘You hurt me, and I’ll hurt you back.’ A kind of Newtonian law becomes as inevitable as the law of gravity. For every infliction of pain, there must be an equal and opposite act of vengeance.”
Most significantly, forgiveness is the only force strong enough to heal those relationships damaged by hatred and betrayal. Because, as porcupines, we need forgiveness to live in community.
Hence, the concern behind Peter’s question to Jesus (Matthew 18:21-22) has been felt by anyone else who’s ever been hurt. As a result, we wonder why we should forgive. Especially if the other person doesn’t deserve it. Thus, John surmises, Peter most likely looked at forgiveness as an activity Jesus talked about and possibly a pretty spiritual thing to do. But a concept that sometimes fails to work out well in the real world.
In conclusion, Pastor Ortberg adds:
“There is another reason, I think, that Jesus uses such large numbers. In a world of porcupines, you’re going to receive a lot of quills. Forgiveness is a little like breathing. If you keep track of every time you do it, you’ll go crazy. Even seventy-seven times is just a warmup. Forgiveness will have to be a way of life.”
Today’s question: When you forgive someone, do you feel your dancing to the rhythm of the divine heartbeat? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “”The crisis of forgiveness”