Tag Archives: forgiveness

come close

7 Apr

http://poemof-theday.blogspot.com/2010/04/come-to-edge-christopher-logue.html?m=1

Come to the Edge – Christopher Logue

Come to the edge.

We might fall.

Come to the edge.

It’s too high!

COME TO THE EDGE!

And they came,

And he pushed,

And they flew.

Today, and everyday, Priscilla and I spend about a morning hour in Bible study. The last question we faced today was ‘ how has the story of Joseph and his brothers moved to forgive another, others, easily? What cam make forgiveness easier? ‘

Forgiveness is hard because of: broken trust; resentments; bitterness. Memories that- which – never leave. That, what makes forgiveness difficult was the first part of the question. Why something is hard, difficult, is somewhat easy for me to listen to, to define usually. Usually.

But defining actions, principles, on how to make forgiveness easier is problematic. I find that there are no ‘cookie cutter’ one size fits all steps. But, Joseph, in Genesis 45, in hard wrung tears and cries, illustrate my forgiveness steps,

“ Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it. Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.”

How did, does, Joseph model making an easier path to forgiveness?

First, Joseph chooses to ask his betrayers to come close to him. ( verse 4 ) He chooses who to be vulnerable with.

Next, Joseph chooses when and where to come close with his betrayers.

Fourth, and finally, Joseph defines why he can forgive.

Joseph can forgive because he ‘be came close’ to God, his betrayers and his own self and failings. He asks his brothers to come close to him, to take their steps, so he can take his. He cries only with them : his hurts and tears are only for his brothers eyes. The Egyptians no not see him in this vulnerable exposed state. He speaks to them after understanding Judah’s plea not to return without his, their loved brother Benjamin. He hears and listens. Joseph comes close to Judah’s words in the right time and place. And in doing so he, Joseph, is changed.

Forgiving, being vulnerable, allowing possible pains to come close, heals.

Today, I change. I forgive. Daily, I come close. Daily I must forgive to change.

Forgive.

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meditiation 3c: forgiveness

4 Jun

Meditation 3c: forgivenes

Though I couldn’t eat, I also couldn’t stop vomiting. At times I had to stop my orange beetle Volkswagen; pull over with the driver door open and vomit in the street. I then keep driving. What was coming up?
The day Barbara came home and told me that she thought she was in love with someone else. This moment, this past, kept coming up. I couldn’t keep it down. I was empty, sick, alone. We had been married for almost seven years. I had built my emotional, social and-to some degree-my professional life around our relationship. After a year of marriage counselling, we broke up.
Bitter through the deceit, lies and betrayal, I clung to my new faith. Jesus was rejected; he knew what I was feeling and going through: no home; lost of common friends; no money. It was and still is a death.
I buried myself in the scriptures searching for words that condemned Barbara. Finally, I found the words I was searching for:
“If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable.” Proverbs 28:9
God would not hear her, the guilty one, only me the innocent. I shared this verse, the first I ever memorized our counsellor. Shifting in his chair, Keith said, “It would be good for Barbara to come to you, and to me, to ask for forgiveness for the deceit in and outside of our counselling. But she doesn’t have to. The only person she absolutely needs to go to is God.”
As soon as Keith said this I saw what I was asking and understood what I needed to give.
I was asking to sit in as God. I was the one to grant forgiveness. I could withhold it if I didn’t feel the sincerity of the request or if I simply didn’t want to give it. What I needed to do in order to heal was to give it over to God; to grant unconditional forgiveness before it was asked for-or even if it was never asked for.
I prayed and gave forgiveness to Barbara that night. I’ve always remembered the verse I first memorized. At the beginning of my walk with Jesus, I was ashamed that I memorized this verse. I couldn’t forget it, though I tired. Slowly, I saw this verse as being dear for me. It is my message from Him to walk in the spirit of forgiveness daily; to always hear and feel the other; to understand that all forgiveness comes from Him and not man. And thankfully it always will.

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