Sunday, March 31, 2019

A Sucker for Forgiveness

 Image result for the prodigal son rembrandt
 The Return of the Prodigal Son - Rembrant

There was a huge memorial rally in Christchurch New Zealand for the victims and survivors of the recent attack on two mosques which killed 50 and injured many more. The perpetrator was a white supremacist terrorist -- its important to describe what he is.

While the musician once known as Cat Stevens, now Yusuf Islam, received attention for singing his classic Peace Train at the rally, it was the husband of one of the murdered worshipers who got the most press. Farid Ahmed says he forgives his wife's killer, that "I cannot hate him" and that he will pray for him. He survived the mass-killing, but his wife, Hosne Ahmed, was shot as she ran back into the mosque to try to save her husband, who uses a wheelchair. She was 44 years old.


Image result for farid ahmed nz

Farid Ahmed

I'm always surprised when forgiveness stories get lots of media attention. Of course this is a terrible incident which has drawn the world's focus and to hear that someone who has been so deeply wronged is willing to forgive is both impressive and mind-boggling. Perhaps it is also because the crime was motivated by hatred and Islamaphobia and Ahmed is a Muslim who is willing to forgive.

Today the lectionary gospel passage is Jesus' parable of the wayward or prodigal son who is welcomed home by his father.  It is often preached as a story of radical forgiveness and reconciliation. It is also a story of anger and un-forgiveness on the part of the son/brother who never left his father's side and from his perspective is treated unfairly.

Through the years I had many parishioners talk to me about their real-life challenges with forgiveness after preaching on this passage, and this story wasn't exactly good news for them. The wrongs and grievances they named were often significant to the extent that I wondered if I wouldn't be crushed under the weight of similar circumstances. Still, they came, not to express anger but with a desire to move to a different place in their lives which would involve forgiveness and the possibility of reconciliation. They don't want to lurk in the shadows of abundant living, as with the good son in the background of Rembrandt's iconic painting.

There was an opinion piece in the Globe and Mail newspaper before Christmas with the title Today's Forgiveness Culture is for Suckers. The author begins with the statement "The Prodigal Son’s big brother was right." Then he goes on to mock the notion of forgiveness, at least as he sees it. Well, duh, of course the stay-at-home brother was "right," in that we often have good reason to be angry about personal injustices. This is not a factual account. It is a story Jesus crafted to invite us to consider the different facets of forgiveness and not forgiving, our grievances and the challenges of letting go on the way to reconciliation. 

I wonder what the author of the piece (who doesn't deserve to be named) thinks of Farid Ahmed? Is he a sucker in his estimation? 

I'm one of the suckers who will continue the journey of Lent toward the mega-story of forgiveness, which is the cross and resurrection. I'll struggle with my own issues along the way, but I'll pray for the strength to walk with Christ.

Image result for the prodigal son contemporary

The Return of the Prodigal Son -- Ward Smith

2 comments:

AuntieSchneider said...

Thank you for this timely piece. I’m just reading Henri Nouwen The Return of the Prodigal Son and thinking how we don’t seem to be able to learn any empathy until we experience our loss. Without empathy we don’t seem to be able to learn to forgive. Or behave as one who is trying to forgive or making their way onwards to forgiveness as a destination. I see how tightly one onlooker in the Rembrandt painting holds onto his Book. His arms don’t teach forward to embrace. But the father’s arms do. Thank you for also linking this to this beautiful new painting I had never come accross before.

Dolores Delgado said...


Do you need an urgent blank ATM CARD to solve your financial needs and i just want to tell the world my experience with everyone. i discovered a hacking guy called Mike. he is really good at what he is doing, i inquired about the BLANK ATM CARD. if it works or even Exist, then i gave it a try and asked for the card and agreed to their terms and conditions. three days later i received my card and tried it with the closest ATM machine close to me, to my greatest surprise it worked like magic. i was able to withdraw up to $4000. This was unbelievable and the happiest day of my life. there is no ATM MACHINES this BLANK ATM CARD CANNOT penetrate into it because it have been programmed with various tools and software. i just felt this might help those of us in need of financial stability. The card have really change my life. if you want to contact them, HERE is the email: blankatm156@gmail.com