The Forgiveness Song, and Also...

Doing a bit of an online search for a children's story time in a service I'll be leading this summer, at Cognashene Community Church.  The service theme is "A Summer of Reconciliation," based on 2 Corinthians 5:11-21.  Paul talks there about "the ministry of reconciliation," as if it were something of an assignment, and that's got me intrigued given our rather conflict-inflected world right now.

Found this song/video called simply The Forgiveness Song.  I must admit, the gentle ukulele intro, winsome tune and the adorable, wide-eyed children in the accompanying images hooked me.  Not sure we can pull it off in our outdoor situation at the 'Church on the Rock.'  But I've tucked it away in the file just in case it inspires something else.  The tune is playing in my head, and that's quite okay.

And also...

The simplicity of children asking for and receiving and offering forgiveness for unkind words, thoughtless play, and moments of selfishness that are so relatable in the video, is admittedly just the thinnest of a sliver of the bigger picture the word 'reconciliation' paints.  Even at that, forgiveness isn't easy if it's going to be real, depending on the wrong that's been done.  

Forgiveness is free.  Trust has to be earned.  And that's the bigger work of reconciliation.  

I have a motto.  "Every sermon I preach, I preach first to myself."  And this one might be shaping up as at tad uncomfortable for me to hear.  As much as I seek to live peaceably, as much as I seek to offer grace and the benefit of the doubt, there are times when communication breaks down, harm is done, wounds inflicted.  I blunder, and others blunder against me.

Humanity does that.  Being in an imperfect process towards being formed into Christ's likeness does that.  And I have to ask, at one point is the damage so great that reconciliation isn't possible this side of glory?  When do I need to stop pursuing it?  Or when do I need to remove myself from a harmful situation?  Hard questions, but they are part of the deal.

A well-known verse in the section I'll be preaching from is verse 17.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"

I find hope for myself in that.  I find hope for us all struggling through our conflict-inflicted world.

If you listen to the song, hope you like it.

If you're struggling to forgive someone right now, I get it.

If the bigger, heavier work of reconciliation is feeling hopeless right now, I get that too.

I hope you can press into the new creation God is imagining for you.

And, without wanting to be trite at all, let's keep praying for peace.