Forgiveness

The other night we watched "Invictus".  Have you seen it?  It is a couple years old and it stars Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman and is based on the true story of Nelson Mandela (played by Freeman) and the head of the rugby team (played by Damon) joining forces to win the the world cup and ultimately unite a nation.


I like watching movies that make me think and connect with the world that I may not always see.  This is one of those movies.


I have been kicking around one line imparticular spoken by Matt Damon's character.  He states "He (Mandela) came out of that prison cell after 30 years ready to forgive the very people who put him in there."  There was something powerful about that line that I kept on repeating it to myself for the rest of the movie and even days later.


There is power in forgiveness.  Power to unite a country so torn by division that no one believed it could be done due to the atrocities that had taken place. That same power can unite a family torn by lies and hurt, a marriage torn apart by infidelity.  That very power can unite you back to a Father who loves you so much. He can repair, restore, and renew.


I thought of Jesus- God sent his only son to this world for us. For you and for me. To live here for 30 plus years, to be put to death in a terrible way, he was buried in the tomb.  After 3 days he rose, prepared to forgive the very ones who placed him there.  To forgive those that had denied him.  To forgive you and me of our sins. It didn't matter what we had done, how big that we may think we have messed up.  He forgives. I pray that I am able to extend that same forgiveness to those that I may come in contact with through out my life.  I am thankful that I have had the experience to feel that power given to me.