My wife roused me from my sleep. It had been a late elders' meeting the night before. I had crawled into bed sometime after 2:00 a.m.. "A plane just hit one of the trade towers," she said. I climbed out of bed in time to witness the second plane fly into the towers. It's a day I'll never forget. Like the Challenger explosion, I'll always know exactly where I was when I heard the news.
Over 3,000 were killed in a horrendous act of hatred and violence. Emotions that ranged from fear, to anger, to horror, to shock, to sorrow, to hatred erupted across the country. Weeks later when the invasion of Afghanistan was announced, there was a cheer that went up in the 15 passenger van I was driving. Every college student were excited that we were exacting vengeance.
The last six years has continued to evoke a mixture of emotions. For some, hatred has continue or even grown. For some, sorrow has grown. For some, fear has grown. 9/11 has changed the world.
As tragic and horrible as 9/11 was, it's not the only cause for hatred. People are wronged, hurt, and abused everyday. 9/11's happen, where people's lives are devastated at the hands of someone else, all around us, may be even to us. Hatred and bitterness abound. But hatred and bitterness can be even more devastating when allowed to grow and fester. Hanging onto the pain always hurts us more than the offender.
Jesus, here in His message for contented/fulfilled living, says forgiveness is essential to experience freedom and victory. Seeking retribution, getting even, doesn't bring satisfaction, nor does it bring us closer to God. Jesus also said our forgiveness by God is dependent upon our forgiveness of others. It's not that God is unwilling to forgive us. It's impossible for us to experience God's grace when our heart is hardened.
God, you forgave me while I was an offender, sinner, enemy. Thanks for your grace. Allow me to offer grace, mercy and forgiveness to others.
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