Forgiven and Forgiving
Matthew 6: 14-15
If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
The night of November 14, 1940, the industrial city of Coventry, in the English Midlands, was attacked by 500 German bombers. The pilots first dropped incendiaries, firebombs, to light up their targets. It was the firebombs that ignited the wooden roof of St. Michael’s Cathedral, and the most sacred space in central England burned to the ground.
The next day, sifting through the ruins, the cathedral stonemason found two charred roof beams lying in the shape of a cross. He lashed them together and stuck the cross where the altar had stood.
When a new cathedral was built it was decided, wisely, to leave the remains, the shell, of the old church. On the remaining piece of altar wall in front of the charred cross were inscribed the words, “Father, Forgive.”
Who has rained destruction down on you? Who sent your dreams up in flames? Who do you need to forgive?
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes clear what the citizens of Coventry sought to live out—that being forgiven is tied to being forgiving. If the gospel of Jesus is about anything, it is about forgiveness. We all need the peace that comes from having our slate wiped clean. But the harder part is forgiving those who have hurt us or those we love. But when we can, how freeing it is.
The shell of Coventry Cathedral still stands, a testament to what cruelty can do, but to the truth that forgiveness is more powerful than cruelty.
Prayer:
Dear God, Thank you for the power of forgiveness. Give us the grace to be forgiving. Amen.
This devotion was written and read by Herb Sadler.
Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.
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First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.
