<HTML><HEAD></HEAD>
<BODY dir=ltr>
<DIV dir=ltr>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'; COLOR: #000000">
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">The
question of forgiveness is raised by the events of the shooting of 9 people in a
Bible class at Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Is
forgiveness contingent or unconditional?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Are we to forgive seven times over (or 70X7) and then what?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Is forgiveness contingent on repentance?
or on Metanoia?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Is it contingent on
the perpetrator asking for forgiveness, giving an explanation, reasons,
justifications, circumstances, rationalizations, mitigating
considerations...Or?.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Or does he
have to say,<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>"Metanoo,"<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>"I have had a change of heart."<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>"My heart has been made over."<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>No mention of the deed itself?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>No act of repenting?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>No apology even?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>No defense?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Only say Metanoo, I have been
transformed?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Or is even that needed
to wipe out the deed?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>To make it
'As if,<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><U>as if, it never happened
at all</U>?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Is the event of the
deed wiped out by the event a change of heart?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And if there is no change of heart?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Are we still to forgive? To forget as
if...</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Recently, for my wife's birthday I gave my her a small
package wrapped in plain paper.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>On
the wrapping I had written:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>"Forgiveness Implementer - with Practical Applicator with instructions on
the label."<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Of course it was a 'gag
gift,' a sock-filler among other such gifts for her to open.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The item in question was a small bottle
of <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>White Out, an item well used in
the days of typewriters to blot out errors.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The instructions on the bottle
were:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>COVER IT.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Blot it out as if you never made the
typo.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Forget about it and make the
correction as if it <U>never happened</U>.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Can the past transgression of so heinous<U> </U></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">a
deed be forgotten? <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Is the
forgiveness enhanced by the memory and depth of the injury?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If so who is the benefactor of
forgiveness, the perpetrator or the victim?</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">What
happens when a perpetrator doesn't repent and shows no sign of a 'change of
heart?' </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">I
wonder if the case can be made that forgiveness, that forgiving, is
unconditional.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Maybe that's what
Jesus of Nazareth was really all about.</FONT></P></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>