The Human Condition

       We all have been wronged in our lifetime. Our hearts, minds and souls cry out for Justice and we try to find ways to cope with this evil in the world. I have often heard that forgiveness is the best way of letting go and moving forward with life. I never did ‘forgive and forget’ in order to restore what was lost. No, I did it for myself. I forgave because I believed that it would help me. Instead of finding peace, I found bitterness. Instead of restoration I became destructive. According to Ghandi, “the weak cannot forgive, because forgiveness is an attribute of the strong”. My forgiveness was false. When people hurt me or I felt an injustice, I felt it was my duty to point out their wrongs, and to offer them my 'selfless' forgiveness. 

     Ironically, rarely do I find myself living up to my own personal standards of morality: Perhaps I am not among the ‘strong’ that Ghandi speaks of. I know I have wronged others in the past as well. How much more have I separated myself from my Creator? Perhaps I am truly fallen. Could I ever try and pay back the moral debt that I owe? Will I ever be accepted through being a good citizen and trying my best to ‘forgive and forget’? Religion says probably not, but try harder. Christ says no, but I have a solution. 

       Here is a very relevant illustration: consider the riots that occurred after game 7 of the Stanley cup playoffs. What will happen now?. Either the city of Vancouver can devote all its time to finding out the kids that have caused the damage or the City can absorb the debt and pay the price. There can also be a middle ground where both the City and the perpetrators pay, however we cannot say that the damage can be forgotten or quickly fixed: it must be dealt with. We are like the rioters who rebelled and continue rebelling every day. Damage has been done. When it comes right down to it, an offence has been committed against God. Humanity stands in Judgement. According to Timothy Keller, when someone has wronged you only have two options: “The first option is to demand [payment] for the damages. The second is to refuse to let him pay anything. … Notice that in every option the cost of the damage must be borne by someone. Either you or he absorbs the cost for the deed, but the debt does not somehow vanish into thin air. Forgiveness, in this illustration, means bearing the cost for his misdeed yourself”. Forgiveness itself is not easy either. The taxpayers will be paying for a long time, they will be paying with the money that they have worked very hard to earn. Forgiveness always comes at a great cost for the one who has been wronged!

       Religion then, would be like making the rioters- who probably do not earn a very high income- pay for all the damage that they have done. All over Facebook, people are demanding for Justice, they are demanding that those who have wronged our City pay.  Jesus Christ, in the same sense of being the City, decided that there is no way for these rioters, to ever be able to pay for the damage done. Instead, he pays- even though he never wronged anyone, even though he deserves a crown of Gold, he chose to wear our crown of thorns. I find this truly amazing. I do not understand even. I always envisioned an angry God, one who is old and grey and judging the world and asking them to pay the price for the injustices caused against him. A God who made the Ten Commandments and demanded that we clean up our lives before we can even consider looking at him. I never thought that he would want to step down from his throne to pay for our misdeeds. This is true Grace, this is not religion. This is unlike anything I have ever known. This, is the Gospel. This is the Good News. 

       Ultimately, our human condition screams out at us that we will never be perfect. This is true. We probably won’t stop violating our City, or our God. Although we will try over and over again to be good people, to be good citizens, brothers, sisters, friends, and to make up for the damage we have done, we will always miss our mark. That is okay though, if what Jesus said about himself is true, then the price has already been paid. The debt has been absorbed. Our chains are gone. We've been set free. What is so amazing about grace? It is unlike anything we've every known.