sermon illustrations FORGIVENESS VOLUME 1
"He killed my father and three brothers..." A story of tough forgiveness in the aftermath of the Rwandan Genocide. Photographer Peter Hiogo traveled to Rwanda, Arica, which unfortunately is known for it s 1994 horrific civil war and genocide between the Hutus and Tutsi tribes. He photographed two people at a time from different tribes, standing side by side and then wrote about their reconciliation. One quote: NYIRAMANA: He killed my father and three brothers. He did these killings with other people, but he came alone to me and asked for pardon. He and a group of other offenders who had been in prison helped me build a house with a covered roof. I was afraid of him now I have granted him pardon, things have become normal, and in my mind I feel clear. Source: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/04/06/magazine/06-pieter-hugo-rwandaportraits.html?ref=magazine&_r=0
Revenge in Your Heart Nurturing revenge in your heart will only hurt you. According to an excerpt of the book Why Forgive? in Plough Quarterly, Steven McDonald was a young police officer in 1986 when he was shot by a teenager in New York s Central Park, an incident that left him paralyzed. 'I forgave [the shooter] because I believe the only thing worse than receiving a bullet in my spine would have been to nurture revenge in my heart,' McDonald wrote. While the younger man was serving his prison sentence, McDonald corresponded with him, hoping that one day the two could work together to demonstrate forgiveness and nonviolence. Unfortunately, the young man died in a motorcycle accident three days after his release; but McDonald still travels the country to deliver his message. Source: http://www.rd.com/true-stories/inspiring/extreme-forgiveness/#ixzz3duwm0cdw Longer version of the story: http://www.plough.com/en/articles/2013/february/steven-mcdonaldsstory
Maleficent There is power in forgiving yourself. Maleficent (Disney, 2014) - Near the end of the film, Maleficent sees the effect her curse has on Aurora. Aurora is in a coma-like sleep and only true love will wake her. Out of guilt Maleficent says: "I will not ask your forgiveness. Because what I ve done to you is unforgivable. I was so lost in hatred and revenge... Sweet Aurora, you stole what was left of my heart... And now I ve lost you forever. I swear, no harm will come to you, as long as I live, and not a day shall pass that I don t miss your smile." Application: Perhaps you have felt this way about something you have done. You feel you can t ask forgiveness because your betrayal was too deep. Maybe it is between you and a family member or friend. Perhaps even between you and God. But know that there is nothing you have ever done that He cannot forgive.
Wisdom in Forgiveness Sometimes, the hardest person to forgive is yourself. The day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect he becomes an adolescent; the day he forgives them, he becomes an adult; the day he forgives himself he becomes wise. - Alden Nowlan, Author, Between Tears and Laughter Application: It is so easy to find the faults in other people, especially those we live with. Perhaps, one of your parents has disappointed or hurt you. The forgiveness we received from Christ calls us to forgive others and perhaps even yourself.
Hoarding Hoarding forgiveness is the opposite of what God calls us to do. Judith Kolberg is accustomed to walking into cluttered homes. As a professional organizer, the Decatur, Ga., woman helps clients straighten messy closets, tame stacks of paperwork, and bring order to their chaos. In the past 25 years, she s also entered the homes of about a dozen people who could be diagnosed as hoarders -- and countless others who came close. It s a pretty sensory experience, let me put it that way. There s obviously the assault on your eyes of the quantity of the clutter, then there s the appreciation of what a mishmash the clutter is. Sometimes there s more than your average share of odor, dust, mold, or other types of structural damage, she says. Two percent to 5% of Americans may meet the criteria for being hoarders, says psychologist David Tolin, PhD, a hoarding specialist and author of Buried in Treasures. Source: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/harmless-pack-rat-or-compulsive-hoarder Application: Can you think of not forgiving as a hoarding problem? God shows us grace and mercy, and then calls us to extend that to others as well. He prompts us to pray, Forgive us our debts/ trespasses, as we forgive our debtor/those who trespass against us. Forgiveness is not something to be hoarded and kept for oneself. It is intended to be embraced and then released to the next person.