God’s job and our job

DAILY BYTE

Someone once said that forgiveness is ultimately selfish. We do it for ourselves, to clear our consciences and just, you know, come out the better person. Well, consider today that forgiveness is never just about us. Forgiveness is about God. And since it is about God, and we all live in one community, as equal children of God, forgiveness is not only the heart of God but it is the heart – the lifeblood of our lives together. And living together, obviously, and yet all too painfully, takes a lifetime. Our journey into the heart of God’s forgiveness is hard and sad and takes a long time.

With the week of September 11 around the corner again, I must say, it is with no small joy that I declare my thanks that I am in South Africa and not at home in the U.S. listening to “I’m proud to be an American” on repeat on the radio. But, two years after the tragedy of September 11, in 2003, when we were continuing on the path seeking after Osama bin Ladin, General Stormin’ Norman Schwarzkopf was asked whether, or not, we should forgive Bin Ladin. Stormin’ Norman replied, “Forgiveness is up to God. I just hope we hurry up the meeting.”

It seems that the Word of God speaks to Schwartzkopf’s difficult and somewhat disturbing statement that forgiveness is God’s role and that our role is to lead people to death so that they can meet God more quickly. Instead of leading us into war with one another, the scriptures lead us straight into the heart of God. We must ask, as we look at them – what is God’s role in this challenging journey of grief, lament, and healing forgiveness? What is our role in this journey together?

What do the scriptures say to us about who God is? And, what do the scriptures say to us about who God made us to be and calls us to be? Reflect for a moment today on the graciousness of our creator God. Reflect on how we have been created and how we are called by God to live together in community with one another and in relationship with the infinitely unselfish, forgiving God who made us.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Thank you, Lord that you are the creator, and we have been created by you in love, by love, and for love. We pray that you will teach us how to accept the forgiveness you have given us and continue to give to us every day. Help us learn to understand both the limits and possibilities of our humanity. Teach us more of who you are and who you have made us to be. And as we struggle through to this lifelong learning, help us to be patient with ourselves and others, having eyes to see and ears to hear the depths of your forgiving love. Amen.

SCRIPTURE READING

Psalm 66

Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall vows be performed,O you who answer prayer! To you all flesh shall come. When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions. Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple. By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas. By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might. You silence the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples. Those who live at earth's farthest bounds are awed by your signs; you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy. You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it. You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness. The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy,
the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.