And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors… Matthew 6:12

When we come to this petition in the prayer that Jesus taught us, we sometimes use different words. Trespasses, sins, debts, these words all describe offences, transgressions, ways we turn away from God and from each other.

In the Lord’s Prayer, we ask to be forgiven for our offences. Then we remind ourselves, and God, that because of that grace-filled gift of forgiveness that we receive, we also should (must) forgive those who commit offences against us. It’s the Christian thing to do.

It’s also a very difficult thing to do. If you have been wronged, depending on the severity of the transgression, it might be impossible for you to understand how you will be able to forgive.

Remember that forgiveness does not mean condoning. Forgiving does not mean forgetting. It means moving on. Forgiveness is as much for you as it is for the person being forgiven. I once heard that holding on to a grudge, not forgiving in your heart, is like eating poison, hoping that it will kill the other person.

Roberta Bondi writes that there are two essential elements of forgiveness. “The first is that we give up the notion of revenge (“turn the other cheek”) and the second is that we pray for the well-being of our injurer (“pray for those who persecute you”)." (p 93-94)*

It sounds so difficult to do, but it is essential to our own well being and to the well being of our relationships with other people, and with God.

Prayer for today

Gracious God, help me to understand how to do, and then do the difficult things that I should and must do, and that includes practicing forgiveness. I ask for strength and guidance. Amen.

*Bondi, Roberta C. A Place to Pray; Reflections on the Lord's Prayer Abingdon Press, 1998