I think that the most incredible thing about God is His ability to utterly and completely disregard my sin. It’s not like He forgets it. Forgetfulness is a human trait. No, God actively chooses not to remember what I have done to offend Him and others. When He looks at me, He doesn’t see a sinner, but He sees a saviour. His own son.

BBC2 screened a documentary a while ago, “The Sun says Sorry “¦ and other tales of Forgiveness”. It was a stunning look at 4 different stories of people either seeking forgiveness, or struggling to forgive. From an Executive of the Sun newspaper, trying to apologise and seek forgiveness from families of Hillsborough disaster victims for what was printed in the days following the tragedy “¦ to the simple story of Ken – a man who was haunted by the name-calling he had received from a teacher.

Each story involved people who had been totally rocked by a situation, so completely affected to the core by something that had happened. And yet each story contained a desire from at least one party concerned to act as if the situation had not taken place. That is the power of forgiveness – not holding someone to past mistakes/wrongdoing.

Pope John Paul II was shot in 1981 and visited the gunman in prison when he had recovered. The shooter was told, “I have pardoned you and you have my complete trust.” The sin, the wrongdoing, the mistake, had been erased from the records.

I think this Christ-like forgiveness is one of the most awesome marks of maturity. When I see it in someone, it always reminds me of Jesus. I once had the privilege of interviewing a man whose daughter had been raped. Again and again he assured me of his prayers for her attackers. He didn’t want to hate them, but to ask God to change them. I strive to be like this in my life. Not to bear any grudges and to live a life that demonstrates forgiveness – even when that is personally costly.

“In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.”
Matthew 6:14,15 (Message)

“If you have anything against someone, forgive – only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins.”
Mark 11:25 (Message)