“The human need for forgiveness appears to be indelible. It won’t go away by denouncing it or trying to deconstruct it. The need I’m referring to is both a profound need to grant forgiveness and to receive forgiveness. On New Year’s Eve in 1843, in a Lutheran parish in Möttlingen, Germany, a young man came to the door of the church’s pastor, Johann Blumhardt. He unburdened himself in confession of many sins and misdeeds, both major and minor. The man experienced great relief and word of it spread. By the end of January, 35 people had come to unburden their consciences with the pastor and ask for God’s forgiveness. By mid-February over 150 had done so. This revival, chronicled in a number of places, was remarkable for the concrete changes in behavior it brought about. “Stolen goods were returned; enemies were reconciled; infidelities were confessed and broken marriages restored. Crimes, including a case of infanticide, were solved,” and alcoholics found sobriety. Here we see an example of how the granting of forgiveness ignited a movement toward greater justice in that town.”
– timothy keller
Reflection:
Forgiveness is a challenging endeavor. It requires relinquishing our desire for retribution and absorbing the weight of wrongdoing, as it cannot simply vanish.
Yet, despite its difficulty, forgiveness is so good for us. As Keller astutely points out, we both need to extend forgiveness when wronged and receive it when we err.
At times, we may question whether forgiving will only invite further harm. However, as illustrated in the story, the act of forgiveness can have a transformative effect. Being granted forgiveness can inspire genuine change within us, demonstrating that justice can indeed stem from mercy.
