As I thumbed through Brennan Manning’s brilliant book ‘Abba’s Child’ (Highly recommended), one sentence managed to completely rock my world both spiritually and emotionally:
“The heartfelt compassion that hastens forgiveness matures when we discover where our enemy cries”
A moment later a vision engulfed me and I was flooded with an overwhelming sense of compassion. I saw a man before a mirror with the lie “you’re a failure” echoing through every empty cavern of his hollow being. I saw a woman scrambling with every ounce of her energy to hide who she really is, for all she has ever known was rejection. I saw the cold heart of a man buried in idols to protect from the deep-seated belief that he is alone and no one could ever love him. I saw the shattered world of the Fatherless. I could feel the weight of every instance of perceived failure and rejection. I could see the pain. I could feel it. He was revealing to me the emptiness of a life without his love- His unconditional, divine, Fatherly love.
I have often viewed the world through a lens of my own self-righteousness. Any conflict or trial I faced was filtered through a this very lens and I could justify any subsequent emotion that surfaced as a result- whether negative or positive. I believed I had offered genuine “forgiveness” to people for the pain, known or unknown, that they had inflicted on me, but honestly, it was skin deep. It took this supernatural, bone-chilling moment of clarity with the Holy Spirit understand the depth of forgiveness. I discovered where my ‘enemies’ cry and all I desired in that moment was for everyone I know and love to experience the unconditional, life-changing love of Jesus Christ.
My heart of stone continues soften. As I read on later that day a few other lines resonated with me in understanding what had occurred in me.
“Only reckless confidence in a Source greater than ourselves can empower us to forgive the wounds inflicted by others”
“Understanding triggers the compassion that makes forgiveness possible”
Once again, my words do not do this experience justice. Something deep within my soul moved and I am forever humbled and changed.
