Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.”
NL Daily Devotion for Monday, March 15, 2021
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
In the past, I’ve had to make amends to others for my bad behavior. In one particular case, even though I was genuine in my remorse, even though I wanted not to do the same thing, I couldn’t seem to stop. So after a while, I stopped making amends, because it was no longer meaningful. I needed an entire, deep and transformative change in my life.
I could have said that the other person needed to keep on forgiving me even if I didn’t change. And maybe that’s true. But if that sort of thing goes on too long, it just becomes abusive. Far better for that person to have cut me off, than to continue to accept my bad behavior.
But then, having been on the other side of the equation, when someone else’s behavior simply did not change, and the result was a truly dysfunctional relationship, I came to understand that I could forgive the other person and still end the relationship, which I did. I didn’t walk away as punishment, but because I knew doing so was the only healthy thing to do, probably for both of us.
The bottom line is that none of us is perfect. We all hurt each other, and as much as possible, we need to have compassion, put ourselves in one another’s shoes, and be quick to forgive each other for being human. But there are times when that forgiveness involves action to prevent further harm. And that’s okay, too.
Forgiving God, give me compassion for others, but also for myself, so that I can live in harmony with the world. Amen.
