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Dear St. Augustine's 'ohana,
Peter came and said to Jesus, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. (Matthew 18:21-22)
Forgiveness is a core tenet of our faith, so it's no surprise Peter asks Jesus for guidance. But when I read this passage in Matthew, I always find myself wondering why Peter asks "how often should I forgive?" Why not ask "how should I forgive" or "why should I forgive" or "whom should I forgive" or "when should I forgive" or even "what should I forgive?"
In his somewhat childish way, Peter asks , "How often should I forgive? As many as seven times?" First, Jesus delivers a glib reply, saying, "Not seven time, but seventy-seven times."
But next, Jesus gets down to serious teaching as he shares the parable about the king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. The king forgives a servant's debt. Immediately, that same servant fails to follow suit, brutally demanding debt repayment from a fellow servant.
"But you owe me!" Perhaps this is what the servant thought. "The king owes me forgiveness, and my fellow servant owes me payment." Holding tightly to his expectations, this servant feels his actions are justified: he feels he deserves forgiveness AND he feels he deserves payment.
How often do our expectations cloud our vision? How often do we feel we are owed something? How often do we unconsciously hurt ourselves and those around us by insisting on what we think we deserve? How often do we demand forgiveness as "payment?" How often do we burden others with false "forgiveness" that's really an accusation in disguise?
These are tough questions to ponder. Join us Sunday for more conversation about forgiveness in a world rife with conflict. We'll talk about loving and conscious ways to discern our way through situations of hurt and forgiveness and how we might think about forgiveness as a process of caring for others as well as a process of caring for ourselves.
In the meantime, check out this podcast from Prophetic Voices: Preaching and Teaching Beloved Community, which offers perspectives on this Sunday's readings, some of which we'll discuss Sunday.
Blessings,
Vicar Jennifer
P.S., The countdown is on for our Annual Bazaar! Details on final call for donations and volunteer opportunities are featured below.
This is our major fundraising effort, which allows the church to offer Sunday services, host music concerts and other community events, and offer activities for keiki throughout the year. The Bazaar also provides funds to maintain our beautiful and historic church, which has been a North Kohala landmark since it was built in 1884.
Please ask your friends and neighbors to come shop! If you live off-island, please consider making a special "Annual Bazaar" donation or watch our Facebook page for silent auction items to bid on.
We are truly blessed with abundance in this community!
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