A month before Christmas 2012, on the first Sunday of Advent I preached on the subject of forgiveness. I did so because I know how many people move toward the "happy, happy" of the season with sadness and even dread because of unresolved conflicts within their families.
After the service a man thanked me for my message and commented on how important the subject was. It was only the second Sunday at St. Paul's for this senior and his wife. He didn't tell me that he was going in for surgery later in the week. He came through the operation but the next day had a serious heart attack and fell into a coma. His family gathered, including his adult son, who had refused to speak to his father for the past couple of years despite repeated overtures. He sat grimly at the bedside but his dad never regained consciousness. At the funeral he looked stricken.
Today I will preach on the parable of the Prodigal Son, which invites us to consider God's grace, and the power of forgiveness, and the risky challenge of reconciliation. With only a few weeks left at St. Paul's I consider this passage a gift, because of the scores of conversations about forgiveness and reconciliation I have experienced with folk here during the decade of my ministry. I am praying that someone, anyone in the congregation will hear a word of hope for their tough situation. Maybe that person or persons will choose to "let it go" and reach out in their alienation.
How are you doing with forgiveness? Has God given you the gift of forgiveness. Can you forgive others?
2 comments:
What a tragic story, and it makes me thankful that I don't have to relate to it on any level. Kind thoughts and prayers to the adult son you mention.
Wow. Heavy!
Yes, I do forgive and I believe that only by being able to to forgive ourselves first can we truly forgive others. Why carry the heavy burden of sadness and resentment when we can give it up and move forward with a lighter heart. We really need to take every opportunithy to say I love you or I am sorry or I forgive you or please forgive me. Why hold back and not speak and then end up like the man in the story that doesn't get a chance to say what he needs to in order to have peace in his heart. David, I am sure you touched several with this mornings sermon, I saw a few tears being wiped away as parishoners listened to your words.
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