This is the longest time between two posts, since I started blogging. I have been writing a paper on Forgiveness and Reconciliation, but in the midst of writing the paper, I took a break and watched The Bourne Identity. There were so many aspects to this movie which I missed the first time I saw it. I never truly understood that the reason Jason Bourne could not remember anything in the movie was that he had to forget his life in order to be able to function. I have been thinking about remembering, since I also read a book entitled, The End of Memory, by Miroslav Volf, who talks about how and why we need to remember rightly in order to be healed and reconciled. I have known through my own experiences that this is true, because without proper remembering, the past recreates itself in my present, dictating what my future will look like. I also sent an e-mail to Miroslav Volf at Yale and he responded within one day, so I gained more respect for him than I had before, which was difficult, because I have much respect for him and his writing.
When I became a follower of Jesus, after about the first six months, I started to look at my past, and realized that I wanted to reconcile with people to whom I had offended. Jesus had removed the shame from my life, so that I was able to look at my past and understand that not everything which I had done was my fault. I myself had been a victim of oppression, anger, and violence, which robbed me of my innocence to violence, and created me in the image of violence.
When God appeared in the midst of the depression which encompassed me, he freed me from the power that evil held over my life. It was through this encounter with Jesus that enabled me to feel again and at times I was overwhelmed by the emotion that forgiveness brought.
At some point though, my faith became institutionalized and I no longer had to remember rightly, forgive, or reconcile, because following Jesus became only about attaining a 'spiritual' perfection, i.e. "living rightly".
Forgiveness needs to be social, if for nothing else, because when forgiveness is received by another human to whom we have offended, and we are reconciled, it gives me the ability to see clearly that I am truly forgiven by God. Unless we have reconciliation with other humans, forgiveness with God will always be questioned.
4 comments:
For the most part, i totally agree with you. Forgiveness is such a huge thing for us socially and i don't think that we really grasp the power of forgiveness. I have a feeling that when we get to heaven we are going to truly understand the power of forgiveness and, although i don't think there will be remorse in heaven, i think that it would be easy to say, "I sure wish i would have forgiven more!"
Anyway, from my own past experiences, i find that forgiveness from others and forgiveness from God were independent from one another. For me, it was easy to have God forgive me because that is what God does. It was much harder to forgive myself for what i had done. In other words, i wanted to keep dredging up what an aweful person i used to be. Not that God was doing that but i was. When i was able to say, "Troy, stop thinking so much about yourself and understand that the God who created this universe has forgiven you! Get over yourself!", that i was able to get past it.
Your thoughts?
"The goal of remembering is reconciliation." (Volf) We as Christians are after reconciliation, not simply forgiveness, although forgiveness for Jesus came first, and through his offer of forgiveness, we are reconciled. We need to offer forgiveness to others, as "ambassadors for Christ". When forgiveness becomes social, we are attempting to reconcile ourselves with another, which embodies the message of the gospel. We don't believe that because we think Catholics have it wrong and ONLY Jesus can offer "true" forgiveness.
I have had to own my experiences, and the aweful person that I was. This is why also I speak a lot concerning "personal choice", because it is not simply my "choices" which determine the course of my life, but it is also how I have been shaped from birth, which determines my choices. Since we are inherently social creatures, my social networks, i.e. parents, siblings, church, neighbors, friends, relatives, sports, television, and "some" of the backwards theology of Liberty University...all have a social dynamic which has shaped my choices. Once I realized that I need to put my "personal choices" within the framework of the overall scope of how I was raised; when I was faced with what appeared to be insurmountable circumstances, the nature of my social networks revealed itself, and I stumbled.
I was unaware who and what the church was supposed to be in my life, as well as the fact that I was unaware of how radical following Jesus was supposed to be.
Also if forgiveness had been a social aspect in my life, then my relationships overall would have been healthier, but was it my "fault" I didn't know that? Yes and no, but I do believe I have no reason to not live that way now.
Owning what I did, does not mean it was "all" my fault.
Talk soon.
Well said Paul...
hey Nick, thanks for the comments, it is always encouraging to have friends like you. P.S. Yankees are only 3 1/2 games back, remember when they were twelve games back. Oh, the memories!
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