Father, Forgive Them

I was very  moved by something the avowed atheist, Christopher Hitchens, said during a live debate that I witnessed. Mr. Hitchens had initially challenged the audience to find one thing that christians do, that he, as an unbeliever, did not or could not, also do. When no one seemed willing to give an answer, he provided the answer, himself. Mr. Hitchens was incensed by Jesus' plea to God, while on the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." It seemed that Mr. Hitchens thought forgiveness, without penalty, was wrong.

I believe Mr. Hitchens was right on target as to the difference between those who believe and those who don't. Jesus said, "But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:15) When experiencing anger, it is easy to mistake our power to extract justice. Our grasp of the wisdom of God, of humility and gentleness, disappears. Our trust in God's goodness and absolute power goes with it. Forgiveness is a test of our belief.

We can choose to believe the lie of our circumstances or we can set a purpose as a guard over our heart and will, to follow our God and to do His will. Either this pain and trauma, as an agency of evil, will rule over us, or God will. We can hold onto the debts owed us, or choose to be healed and restored. We can choose to invest ourselves, our hearts, and our thoughts, into the One who banishes our brokenness. In the cherishing of grudges, we are not plugged into the power of the Almighty. If it's only excuses for why we don't trust Him, then we reject His greatest gifts. And the satisfaction gained from Him is so much more gratifying than anything else.