Bell on forgiveness

Forgiveness different from consequences and justice.
Consequences may be what it takes for them to change their ways.

Tim Keller (the reason for God)- “Agony to refrain from lashing out on someone. It is a form of suffering. You are absorbing the debt, taking the cost completely on yourself instead of taking it out on the other person. It hurts terribly. Many people would say that it leads to a kind of death.
But it is a death that leads to resurrection instead of the life long living death of bitterness and cynicism. You are not giving it any fuel and so the resentment burns lower and lower.”

You can’t be angry with a nameless organization. You are angry at a particular person within the church. To be free from those you need to name those people and forgive.

Forgiveness is a process. Sometimes lasts a lifetime like grief it isn’t just a once and over deal.

Samson ex. of revenge escalating.

Passive revenge
Secret celebrations

Pray for those who persecute you.

1 Peter 2 did not retaliate or issue threats, trusted himself to God who issues justice

Do not repay evil for evil.

Others, they should pay in this way in this timeframe. But me…

Anger builds up, waiting for a recipient to pass it off to. EX of elevator in EQ where they think of all the mean reasons that the elevator is not coming down yet, that someone is being careless with it instead of some benign reason.

There is another option

Say the pain will stop right here with me. Will we take hate, anger, and hurt and keep it in circulation? Enter into the Christ pattern of forgiveness.

Parker Palmer, “The cross says the pain stops here. The way of the cross is a way that absorbs pain and doesn’t pass it on, a way that transforms pain from a destructive impulse into creative power. When Jesus accepted the cross his death opened up a channel for the redeeming power of love.”

Source: Rob Bell at Boyd's church