Known
God, I learned from somewhere that the reason you forgive me for my sins is because, when you look at me, you only see Jesus in my place. (And how could you get mad at Jesus, right? I mean, he’s so perfect!)
Anyway…
I guess the good news about this is that I’m forgiven (yay!).
But the bad news is that I’m also ignored. Unseen.Â
Because if you don’t see me in all my warts and imperfections,
then what
exactly
have you forgiven me for?
But then I heard it put another way1…
I heard that it’s not out of ignorance that you forgive me. Rather, it’s the OPPOSITE. You forgive me because you know me so deeply and intimately. You know the cosmic wound (and the various wounds following it) that my wound-management projects (sins) emerge out of.Â
God, if you don’t see me in all my warts and imperfections,
then what
exactly
have you forgiven me for?
Instead of ignoring or blaming me, it’s more like you know how little control I have to prevent the insensitive, hurtful, and life-diminishing things I do. And in Jesus, you enter into my wounds and my death experiences (and Ultimately, my bodily death).
It’s like you use the very things that bring me pain
to bring me into new life.
God, you don’t ignore me. You know me and you understand me and my situation more than I’ll ever know.
It’s not out of your ignorance of me that you forgive me.
It’s out of your loving and compassionate awareness of me that you do.
May it be so.
Amen.
Roberta Bondi