This Tuesday our staff reflected on the gospel passage for this Sunday, in which Jesus calls us to Love your enemies, pray for your abusers, refrain from judgement, and forgive.
Even on a good day, it’s not an easy passage. Forgiveness is the hardest thing we are called to do. And it’s a passage that has historically been misinterpreted to justify passivity in the face of injustice, compliance to oppressive systems, or in places where we are abused, codependence rather than liberation.
Yet forgiveness and self-giving love are at the heart of our faith and are vital to the health of our souls in trying times. In a world that can be inhumane and volatile, forgiveness and non-judgment can keep us anchored in our faith and, ironically, more ready to respond in a way that is faithful and generative.
There is nuance to forgiveness, though, especially in a world that can be profoundly unkind and unjust. I invite you to join me and Canon Koch this Sunday for a special bible study on the gospel passage this week, as we reflect on this call to love courageously even – perhaps especially – in the midst of difficult time.
The Very Rev. Bernard J. Owens