Perspectives In Motion

I was watching ER the other night and I got a completely new perspective on forgiveness. I’m watching as a 35-year-old homeless lady is taken back home to her parents whom she hasn’t seen in over 10 years. It’s one of those scenes where there is no dialogue between characters, only a song being sung over the video of different story lines. They come to the part where the woman steps out of the vehicle and faces the house of her parents. She is clean, sober and of course it’s Christmas. She walks to the door and the front porch light comes on and the front door opens. A tired older gentleman and an aging woman exit the front door bewildered by the sight a lost daughter.

What was incredibly new to me was how good forgiveness could feel. I could see in each of their eyes so much relief, gratitude, humility, and life.

My perspective is now stretched to include something that I haven’t noticed. I now see each of these available to me (and to anyone who believes) as a by-product of forgiveness. How genius is it to offer forgiveness as a provisory of relief and gratitude. How incredibly scandalous is it that Christ conquers pride with forgiveness and offers hope, all at the same time.

I can’t get over how intense it was to see a father welcome home a lost child, and watch the two, as their regret began to melt. This earthly father failures began to fade, and the daughter’s bad decisions were seemingly erased by forgiveness. I think the older I get, the clearer it is to see forgiveness as a treasure and pride as an enemy. After all, forgiveness can only come when we value Christ more than ourselves. I think there are so many people that are looking for forgiveness and just can’t find it. Therefore they continue to dull the pain that only forgiveness can relieve. No wonder they call(ed) it Good News.