TUESDAY, August 9

2 Samuel 14:1-20. Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman. He said to her,“...Go to the king and speak to him as follows.”

How can we challenge those in authority over us to bring them to a different way of seeing things? Their very position of authority makes them hard to approach. Joab asked a wise woman to tell King David the story that she was a widow with two sons, one of whom had killed the other. The mother was prepared to forgive, but the family wanted the other son killed also for vengeance—which would leave her without any offspring and means of support.

The story was designed by Joab to help David see the damage he was causing by banishing Absalom, and David was quick to understand this.

Eight hundred years ago Assisi was split by a petty dispute between the mayor and the bishop. Francis added a verse to his canticle of creation about those who pardon one another. He had two of his brothers go to the mayor and bishop and sing these words. Jolted from their mutual antagonism, they turned to each other in forgiveness.

Sometimes a song, a story, a gift of flowers, or even a smile, is all we need to bring about reconciliation.

PRAY for the Anglican Indigenous Network (AIN) and the Diocese of Rhode Island (Province I, USA)

Ps 97, 99, [100] * 94, [95]; Acts 21:1-14; Mark 10:1-16

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Aug 09, 2011 at 6:58 am

Written by Steve Doutt,

Our religious traditions contain both vengeance and forgiveness.
There are callings in the texts to be judgemental; and also to let God be the judge.
There are prayers calling destruction on our enemy; and commandments to love our enemy and turn the other cheek.

What to do, what to do...

"...and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us."

What About Unconditional Love?

Aug 09, 2011 at 7:58 am

Written by emeline,

Love is the key that causes us to be forgiving toward each other. Turn the other cheek. Turn the other cheek. Let God be the judge and jury in all that matters! FORGIVE! FORGIVE! FORGIVE!

The Rev'd Canon Timothy M, Priest retired

Aug 09, 2011 at 9:17 am

Written by Nakayama,

I must forgive the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster, their successive Bishops and their Diocesan Clergy and Lay Leaders for selling two Churches (Ascension and Holy Cross) during World War II when we, Canadians of Japanese Ancestry were betrayed, and improperly regarded as enemy aliens in the land of our birth, and banished from the Pacific coastal area of Western British Columbia. Members of our Church, followed the example of our Government who auctioned off our personal and business properties, sold the Churches where we had worshipped! The Government did not do that - our Church did. We are called by God to forgive them. This happened over sixty years ago. The details were only discovered by research, a few years ago. "O Lord, forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us. AMEN"

forgiveness

Aug 09, 2011 at 2:52 pm

Written by Christopher John SSF,

I know it's much easier to write about "forgiveness" as a general thing. It's safely "out there" - but so much harder when it becomes the specific forgiveness of someone who has wronged us. I'm not good at it - and the only hope I have is in knowing it's the journey of a lifetime. But at least, even if I can hold to the knowledge that forgiveness is an ideal then at least I will not get trapped in a world of denying any possibility of forgiveness at all. Again - thanks for reading and reflecting and challenging me in my own understanding.

...

Aug 09, 2011 at 3:11 pm

Written by Rick,

Forgiving others and admitting that we need to ask to be forgiven for our wrongs - two of the greatest challenges for us as Christians.

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