Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Forgive us our trespasses

In work this morning, Alun was flicking through the Bible, trying to find something - he didn't have any real work to do and wanted to make it look as if he were doing something useful - when he said, 'Where's Ezra?'

I looked at him. 'There 's a book in the Bible called Ezra? They haven't made a film of that one.'

I really am amazingly ignorant about matters religious. Sometimes I fear I will be found out and defrocked - or whatever the evangelical charismatic equivalent of that is - but then I remember I used to be part of a pub quiz team that included six Christians, three in positions of authority, who sometimes got the biblical questions wrong. That makes me feel better.

I know the important things. I know the things that don't come simply from reading a book.

In Zac's tonight we looked at forgiveness from the point of us forgiving others. It's rarely easy but until we do, we don't have peace. But even when we can forgive, we don't forget. But we don't have to.

The thing is that when God forgives us, he does forget.

Love keeps no record of wrongs.

10 comments:

MaryB said...

One thing I do thank my good Southern Baptist upbringing for is knowing things like the books of the Bible. Whenever I teach children in Sunday School, I try to give them a working knowledge of where the books are (at least - OT and NT). Poor little Episcopalians don't like learning the books of the Bible! (And yeah, I know where Ezra is - OT, BTW.)

And you're exactly right about forgiveness. And not forgetting. After years of being told to "forgive and forget," I've learned that that's very often victim mentality (the forgetting part). Forgive us as we forgive.

Anonymous said...

Indeed.

I bet the only bit of the Koran that sticks in Islamist minds is Sure 9:5, and then only the first sentence :-(

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

Oh, yes, and forgot to mention Ezra!

If I remember correctly Ezra 7:26 proscribes (inter alia) the death penalty for disobeying God :-(

James Higham said...

I would prefer people to ease off on the scriptural quotes and the super-moral covering of chair legs and concentrate more on the real direction - love one's neighbour as oneself. Far harder to do.

Crushed said...

Originally, there were FOUR books in the bible entitled Esdras (Ezra is 3 Esdras.

1 and 2 were removed by the Council of trent in 1545, though the orthodox church retains them.

Nehemiah used to be 4 Esdras.

Liz Hinds said...

Especially if you don't love yourself, james.

Like I said, stu, who's Ezra?

thank you, Shirl!

We don't need to forget so much as learn from our experiences, mary.

Liz Hinds said...

We must have been comenting at the same time, cbi. Four Ezras? Good grief! And they haven't made a film of any of them ... have they?

Clare said...

this probably isn't relevant, but it made me think of this Eddie Izzard quote:
On naming Popes:
They had a run of Piuses, it went like Hollywood, they had Pope Pius the first, the second, Pope Pius the third "The revenge of Pope Pius". Pope Pius the fourth, "This time he's pissed off." Pope Pius the fifth in 3D!

I only know NT books, because I am a terrible Catholic. I do know that I should love my neighbour though, and that seems to be probably the most important.

Welshcakes Limoncello said...

Forgiveness is hard but bearing grudges can destroy us. I agree that forgetting is even harder. Again, I envy you your faith.