Tom Cooper
To sin is to do something wrong or to disobey. The Lord has given us the rules of living right, and parents give us guidance and rules to obey in youth. But when we do not follow these rules, we land in trouble and then look for mercy.
Sometimes we sin without knowing it, either by our own ignorance or because of immersion in our own interests. I've said or done hurtful things on impulse to others, including the people I love the most. It is very hard to swallow pride and apologize. But without asking forgiveness it is even harder to continue on.
I am writing these thoughts on Ground Hog Day (I am embarrassed to say my thoughts were due yesterday to the editor -- I suffered from writer's block). In the movie, Ground Hog Day, starring Bill Murray as Phil Conners, the character is able to relive the same day over and over again. At first, Phil's dark side comes out by stealing, philandering and drinking. But eventually he finds a purpose in helping others avoid painful or hurtful situations by intervening in their lives, on the day that he has witnessed over and over again.
I believe that God gives us mercy so that we can start over. We can put our disobedience and sins behind us. And like Phil Conners, we are given a chance to find a purpose for our lives by doing things right. God knows that we are not always going to do things right the first or second time. We need a constant rebirth in order to live a Christian life.
When we pray, "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us," we are asking for mercy. We are also praying that we grant mercy to others who have done us wrong. I believe that Jesus is teaching us something very important. When we forgive others, we let go and move on and are reborn to live a Christian life. This is God's gift of mercy.
Our sinfulness is unavoidable. Despite this burden, God's mercy shows us a way to turn sin around and move on to a better way.
No comments:
Post a Comment