There are some things in life that are easy to forgive.
Accidental slights. Misunderstandings. Someone cutting you off in traffic.
And then there are the things that feel impossible to forgive.
The betrayal you never saw coming.The words spoken in anger that can never be taken back.The deep wound that still aches long after the moment has passed.
Forgiveness isn’t natural. It isn’t fair. It isn’t logical. And yet, Jesus calls us to it anyway.
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus gives one of his hardest teachings:
Love your enemies.
Do good to those who hate you.
Bless those who curse you.
Pray for those who mistreat you.
He doesn’t say forgive when they deserve it or love when it makes sense.
He just says—love anyway.
Radical Forgiveness That Changes the World
This kind of love—the kind that chooses mercy over vengeance, grace over bitterness—isn’t just hard. It’s world-altering.
In June of 2015, the world watched in shock as nine Black parishioners were murdered during Bible study at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. The shooter had hoped to ignite hatred and division.
But what happened next was something no one expected.
At his first court hearing, the families of the victims were given a chance to speak. One by one, they stepped forward.
And instead of hatred, they offered forgiveness.
“I forgive you,” Nadine Collier said through tears. Her mother had been murdered.
“We have no room for hate,” Anthony Thompson said.
“May God have mercy on you,” Felicia Sanders said.
Forgiveness didn’t erase the pain. It didn’t mean there was no justice to be done.
But it did break the cycle of hate.
This is what Jesus calls us to.
Not an easy, feel-good kind of forgiveness.Not a naive or dismissive forgiveness.But a forgiveness that refuses to let hate have the final word.
The Love That Defines Us
Jesus’ teaching this Sunday is not just a suggestion—it is the defining mark of who we are.
To love like this is to stand in direct opposition to the world’s logic of power, revenge, and self-preservation.
To love like this is to trust that God’s justice is bigger than our need for control.
To love like this is to live as if resurrection is real—because resurrection is what happens when love wins.
An Invitation
This Sunday, we’ll dive deeper into Jesus’ radical call to love and forgiveness and explore what it means to take part in redemption rather than just waiting for it.
How do we love when it’s hard?
How do we forgive when it feels impossible?
And how do we trust that mercy is stronger than vengeance?
I invite you to join us in worship as we wrestle with these questions.
Come, and let’s journey together toward the love that transforms the world.
See you Sunday.
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