11-14-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
November 14, 2024
Where does forgiveness begin? When we’ve been hurt, betrayed, or left to suffer, it is important to claim that we are of value. Too often, when we have been injured by another, we are left feeling devalued or even wondering whether we deserved it. The one who was the source of the injury (physical, emotional, or spiritual) is often given additional power through what might be called an ongoing change in our self-worth. There are times when this devaluing of self is apparent, but more often, it is subtle, speaking its so-called opinion of us in the loneliness of a sleepless night. Jesus told his disciples, knowing they would experience firsthand all kinds of abuse and emotional trauma, that they were to love their neighbors as they loved themselves. Love is of course the most important word in that teaching, but a close second is the simple Greek word ὡς (hōs) that we translate “as,” “since,” or “because.” My theology (my understanding of God) begins with God’s immeasurable and unconditional love for all of us, but to actually make space for that love and to receive that love, we must love ourselves. If we do not believe we are deserving, there will forever be an inability to accept God’s love. And forgiveness is rooted in that same love of self. If we struggle to love ourselves, we can find ourselves believing the injury was warranted. Loving ourselves is not arrogance or even anti-humility. It is the necessary step to owning God’s love for us, and in that love is found the capacity to say to the one who has caused the injury, “I forgive you because I am strong and do not wish for your choice to continue to carry any sway over my life. And I can only pray that my forgiveness will help you find both a love of God and a love of yourself so that you do not cause injury to anyone else.” Now, with that said, getting to the place of self love and forgiveness does not usually happen overnight. It is a process, but do whatever it takes to regain that love of self, as it is what God desires for you.

Thank you for allowing your love to spill over me, O Creator of All. I pray for the stories of Jesus and the gift of your Spirit to help me see and accept my place as one of your beloved. I desire to be an agent of your love, yet I know I cannot be the person you have called me to be if I do not fully affirm myself as one of your children. Amen.