Consider Matthew 25, titled in most Bibles “The Last Judgment”.
When the Son of God comes and all the angels, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered… Matthew 25:31-32
Recently, at a Session meeting, I asked the Elders what topics they would like me to address in a sermon. Most told me they liked my topic selection but several mentioned forgiveness. I recently preached about forgiveness (Lent) and wrote about it in a few blogs of late. I want to offer a perspective on forgiveness you may not come across. Most of what I hear, when people speak of forgiveness, is personal. When I began my ministry, most wanted to know how to forgive themselves. Now, it’s about how to forgive what others have done to us. Obviously, persons harmed in a traumatic way need therapy, counselling. I recommend it.
Consider where others have been harmed by larger social forces, how our indifference and/or active participation has contributed to lingering injustice. I recently walked through Pier 21 and witnessed an exhibit on the Lee family who lived in a subdivision I walked through for decades. I listened to a recording of family members, my age, speak of names they were called, how they were made to feel. This history is my lifetime, my neighbourhood. It got me thinking, how will history judge me? At the end of my life, what will my child think of how I responded to the issues of my time? I often wonder how my grandparents responded to Halifax racism, harmful and pointless Protestant-Catholic rivalry. How will 20-somethings judge us for our treatment of the Queer community, climate change? And when we consider our churches, how will history look at us? When we righteously judge our forbears for their social sins, don’t forget our children-grandchildren will be doing likewise. Forgiveness comes to mind.
We are all broken people, all flawed, me as much as anyone. I pray for forgiveness for those moments when I failed to live up to the challenges of our time. But it’s not too late. We have time to do our part, to act.
“And the master will answer, Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these of mine, you did it to me” Matthew 25:40