Can We Forgive?

American Idol has become one of the most popular TV show in recent times. I never became a serious fan of the show because quite frankly I'm turned off by Simon's caustic sarcasm. I think that a judge should be able to tell someone their performance stinks without saying, "Is there an odor around here?" The other reason I don't follow the show is my choice never wins.

This happened a few years ago when my choice, Mandisa, lost to someone else, but as far as I am concerned she was a winner in more ways than one because she had the nerve to stand up to the insufferable Simon. You see, he took issue with her size, and in his own inimitable way, made certain remarks which were very insulting.

The charming, talented young woman told Simon in no uncertain terms that she forgave him without needing an apology because Jesus had forgiven her! To have the boldness to say that on national TV is a gift that could only have come from God. When I heard it I thought, I have to see who this person is, so I watched the show after that and was very impressed.

In reading about the trailblazers that shaped the future of African Americans, I came across a story of a young lady who also displayed a great lesson in courage and forgiveness. Six-year-old Ruby Bridges was bused to the Franz Elementary School in New Orleans under desegregation laws, and met with a great deal of persecution from the white parents, so much so that President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered that she be escorted by marshals to school every day.



As a result parents kept their children away from the school as a mark of protest, so little Ruby sat alone in the school while her teacher taught her. But it is recorded that while she was being escorted she prayed, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Eventually the whites woke up to the realization that their kids were not being educated and they sent them back to school.

I spoke to a man the other day who said, “I will never forgive my ex-wife for what she did to me. Never!” He admitted that he was only hurting himself, and when I told him that Jesus chose to forgive the Roman soldiers who tortured and killed Him, he became even more angry and stormed away. But whether you’re dealing with a Simon, an errant spouse or a whole bunch of enemies, forgiveness wins every time.

Responsibility

Some years ago, a case made headlines when a woman was awarded over a million dollars because she spilled a cup of coffee in her lap and sued the restaurant, saying the coffee was too hot. Many people were shocked that someone could actually sue and win for something she had done. But such is the law of the land in which we live.

I remember the word 'responsibility' came up many times in comments about that case, and it came up a few times in President Obama's inagural speech. But what is he really calling on us to do when he asks us to be responsible? I believe he is simply asking us to do what we know needs to be done. The way we tell our children to pick up after themselves and not expect someone else to do if for them. The time has come for each one of us to pick up after ourselves; to hold ourselves accountable for our actions, instead of trying to blame someone else when we spill hot coffee in our laps.

We may choose to ignore the President's call to be responsible, and he won't be able to call us to account, but according to the Bible, there is coming a day when "... we shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14: 12). Yes, whether we like it or not, we will one day all answer to an Authority higher than the President of the United States.