Dare to Remember. Dare to Forgive.

This Sunday we at Trinity, as well as people of diverse faiths, will gather to worship - many of us within the context of the 10th anniversary of 9/11. We will remember where we were and what we were doing on the morning of 9/11 and what we did afterward. We'll remember how this tragedy touched our lives and how our world has changed since then. These are powerful memories and reflections.

Our lectionary scriptures speak a powerful word to us: Matthew 18: 21-35 and Genesis 50: 15-21.

Among our myriad of mixed feelings about 9/11, the theme of forgiveness has tortured many through these last 10 years. In our gospel, Jesus commands the demanding work of forgiving others 70 x 7 times - in Jesus' day this represents no end to the process of forgiveness. Forgiveness is a repeated theme throughout Jesus' ministry. Here, it's especially harsh when a wicked steward, who having just been forgiven a huge debt, chooses not to forgive a fellow slave who owes him a debt. The king then hands the wicked steward over to torture. The parable ends with Jesus' promise: "So my heavenly Father will also do to everyone of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart" (Mt 18: 35). For those who respond to 9/11 or other acts of violence or betrayal with a desire for vengeance, I find that revenge is rarely sweet nor healing. Jesus shows us a path toward healing and wholeness through forgiveness.

Most compelling to me is the reminder in our daily praying the Lord's Prayer when we plead with God to forgive us our sins/debts/trespasses as we forgive the sins/debts/trespasses of others - as if the measure of our forgiveness by God rests upon our choice to forgive others. However, Jesus reminds us that we've already been forgiven and that he, as the Son of God will be with us always, to the end of the age. Through this I realize that my response of forgiveness is a response of gratitude for the unlimited grace and mercy I've already received from God. How can I but forgive - especially as Jesus promises to walk with me through this hard work of forgiving?

In Genesis 50, when Joseph promised his brothers who had attempted to have him killed, that they had nothing to fear (Fear Not!) because God intends to bring good out of what had been intended for evil. Shalom is God's intent for all of life. How do we bring ourselves to trust in God's power to heal? Forgiveness 70x7 times is a good set of first steps.

Ten years after 9/11 as we dare to remember and dare to forgive, how can we re-commit ourselves to peace and justice? How do we create a new future out of memories, forgiveness, and coming together? Our answer lies in our commitment to God's kingdom here on earth in which our ultimate loyalty is to God's vision - God's steadfastly loving nature - God's right to judgment.

Grace and Peace, Pastor Shelley