Forgive me?

In many ways, the Bible is a small library in and of itself. Genealogies, poetry, law, parables, and so much more can be found in scripture. For many, in times when we find ourselves seeking words of prayer, whether they be of praise and gratitude or anger and sorrow, we find ourselves flipping to the psalms. With 150 different psalms, there are words that can speak to quite a few of the different experiences we may find ourselves in throughout life. While the psalms are quite popular for prayer and reading, they make it into sermons less often, except perhaps for Psalm 23 which makes it into many a memorial service or funeral.

This week we will be exploring Psalm 130 together in worship. The description for this psalm is "waiting for divine redemption". Waiting. It seems like we've done a lot of this lately and yet the nice thing in this psalm is that unlike our current situation with Covid where it seems like we are waiting with no guarantee of an end in sight (at least not any time soon), we are reassured in this psalm that the very thing we are waiting for is possible and promised in and through God - redemption. While the poet is certain that this redemption happens, they continue to wait. This has me thinking a lot about our understandings of forgiveness.

Forgiveness is a major tenet of Christianity and yet, if we are honest, it can be quite a difficult thing to ask for or to offer. Forgiveness is often spoken of as a healing tool not only for the one who has wronged, but the one who has been wronged and while that may be true for some, that has been an incredibly harmful notion for others, particularly those who have experienced devastating pain at the hands of another.

So what does forgiveness mean? What does it require of us? This week, I'm particularly interested in forgiveness from the perspective of one waiting for it, one who believes redemption is possible, and yet there's something between recognizing that a wrong has occurred and reaching healing. This week we will contemplate forgiveness and the often difficult and yet maybe very transformative act of actively waiting for, of seeking forgiveness.