Hope – the power of
forgiveness
This week’s assembly theme is forgiveness, a subject that is
much debated at times and reflected on by many great people in the past.
Mahatma Gandhi is quoted as saying that ‘ the weak can never
forgive, forgiveness is the attribute of the strong’. Likewise Nelson Mandela
said ‘ Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear. That is why it is such
a powerful weapon.’
Both saw forgiveness as both a necessary part of human life,
but also a positive action that can lead to hope for a better future.
In Matthew 18 when Peter asked Jesus how many times he
should forgive, he suggested to Jesus that maybe seven times was enough. Jesus
answer put the question of forgiveness into perspective – not seven times, but
seventy times seven. In other words always.
This was summed up by Martin Luther King Jnr in his words –
Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude. In our
assemblies this week we have been considering what forgiveness means in
practise, what implications it has for us as individuals and what forgiveness
teaches us about the love of God.
Our Hope from this week has been that we may have
reflected on the positive power of forgiveness and how it impacts on our lives
and the lives of others.
