Forgiveness
How can you tell when you've crossed the meridian that divides hatred and forgiveness? Is it when the dirt path beneath your feet, frozen hard by winter's bitter wind, softens under summer's grace? Or is it when words you've worked so long to free stroll out of the prison of your heart without your help and to your amazement speak themselves?
"I wish you well," I whisper.
Jesus, My Father, the CIA and Me; 252.
Good Friday
Original post: April 10, 2009; repost: April 2, 2010--Good Friday.
How could anything so tragic be good?
And the account from Matthew's Gospel (27:27-54):
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; then they sat down there and kept watch over him. Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.’” The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.
From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”
I made mistakes as a kid too …
Cross-posted on Faith & Immigration.
Last week, the New York Times shone a light on the story of Qing Hong Wu, former juvenile delinquent, and Michael A. Corriero, retired federal judge. The gist of it is that almost fifteen years ago, Wu pled guilty to a string of muggings committed at age 15. At his hearing, Judge Corriero urged him to turn his life around.
Well, Wu took heed: he was released early on good behavior, worked his way up to become the vice-president at a national technology company by age 29. But in applying for citizenship, he ran into the merciless mess of our current immigration system, which offers no room for rehabilitation. He was locked up as a “criminal alien” in November, awaiting mandatory deportation to China, a country he left at age 5 when his family immigrated to America.
This episode—symptomatic of our broken immigration system—is not a reflection of the highest values we have as a country, where our magnanimity and generosity are matched by welcome and grace. The American dream says that if we work hard and pay our dues, we can and will ultimately make a better life for our families and ourselves. Qing Hong Wu worked hard, paid his dues, and turned his life around.
And now he awaits deportation for actions taken when he was a teenager. I made a lot of mistakes as a kid too—to a certain extent, isn’t that part of our prerogative as kids, and part of the learning and maturing process known as growing up?
But more personal—and more importantly—for me, this episode does not jive well with my faith and my beliefs as a Christian. The God I believe in—the God in whose image I am made, who calls me to be like him—forgave even before we recognized and acknowledged our need for forgiveness. Jesus, whom I call my Savior and Lord, forgave his killers even as he hung dying on the cross.
Here is someone who paid the penalty for his mistakes, did his time and worked to turn his life around—and is now being deported. As Judge Corriero said, “[This situation] really cries out for some kind of justice.” For me as a Christian, as an American and as an immigrant, this is just one story—one of many—that illustrates the desperate need for comprehensive immigration reform now.
UPDATE (3/7/10): Governor Paterson announced that he would pardon Wu, stopping deportation proceedings and allowing Wu to continue applying for U.S. citizenship. Governor Paterson said the case offered "the opportunity to make a forceful statement about the harsh inequity and rigidity of the immigration laws." Thanks to everyone who participated in appealing on behalf of Qing Hong Wu!
[Qing Hong Wu with his fiancée. Photo: Todd Heisler/The New York Times]
Links of the Day, November 19
News
- Senator Harry Reid unveils the Senate health-care bill, which the CBO estimates will cost $849 billion over 10 years (beneath the $900 billion cap set by the President) and will cover 94% of the population.
- A vicar and his wife forgive the girls who drove their daughter to suicide.
- Economic growth is predicted for 2010. Let's hope it pans out that way!
- A US judge rules that army engineer negligence led to massive flooding when Katrina hit.
- Good news from Afghanistan:
Politics
Green
- California approves energy standards for TVs.
- The Scientists and Evangelicals Initiative pushes for climate change legislation in the US.
Sport
- France go through to the World Cup after knocking Ireland out in the qualifier playoff. Thierry Henry is one of my favorite players in the world, but seriously?!
Miscellaneous
- E-Cho's top book recommendations for Christians.
- The world in Lego, courtesy of Mandy.
Christians being all racially insensitive
Brought to light recently by Angry Asian Man.
A couple years ago, Christian publisher Zondervan released a book about radical integrity, character, grace and leadership. The blurb reads:
Integrity is under attack. Character assassins are on the prowl, seeking to ambush people at their points of vulnerability -- in their homes, in their churches, in their relationships. Shredded reputations litter the landscape, ruined by just one or two bad choices.
But everyday leaders, from mothers and fathers to preachers and teachers, can fight back and win. This book equips them with comprehensive, no-nonsense self-defense training to protect their most priceless possession: their character. Working in tandem, this book and DVD curriculum initiate a growing movement of men and women who want to finish strong and live with no regrets.
No psychobabble or clinical discussions -- just straight talk from two guys who know the opponents and what it takes to beat them. This book will help untarnished leaders stay untarnished and will show the way out for those mired in the ugly consequences of bad decisions.
Through honest, eye-opening reading and eight interactive small group DVD sessions, this book helps cultivate lifestyles of radical integrity and radical grace.
Character. Integrity. Grace. Leadership.
All necessary components of a living and vibrant faith. And from the DVD clips, it looks like Mike and Jud took an approach to the subject that was honest and insightful.
The problem?
The packaging, the marketing, the form in which the content is presented, is SO racially insensitive I don't even know what to say. (So you can follow the comment conversations here at Deadly Viper, as well as on Sojourners board member Prof. Soong-Chan Rah's blog.)
Here's Prof. Rah's open letter to authors Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite, and publishers Zondervan -- it highlights a number of things that are wrong with the marketing approach that was taken.
Now I'm fairly certain that Mike and Jud -- and Zondervan -- didn't intend the book and the accompanying materials to be racially insensitive -- and I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt on this -- but, well, they are, notwithstanding intention. It does make a difference that the intention was not to cause offense or hurt, but the result remains the same: offense and hurt was caused.
I hope that the resolution of this situation (which is still to be played out) happens so that people can look back at this as an instance of Christians demonstrating humility and unity within the body of Christ, and being examples of apology, repentance, grace, love, and forgiveness. And I hope this experience will be a call to move forward, to grow and mature together.