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Connections&
September 16 -- 24th Sunday of the Year
"'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep... because I have found the coin that I lost& because your brother was lost and has been found.'" Luke 15:1-10
What do you mean he forgave me& !?
In an episode of the newspaper come strip, Blondie, Dagwood Bumstead is sitting at his desk. Mr. Dithers, his boss, launches into one of his trademark tirades over some inconsequential issue. As his anger builds, he yells at Dagwood: "Bumstead, you're fired! I want you gone when I come back from lunch!"
Mr. Dithers comes back from lunch and asks his secretary, "Has Dagwood cleared out yet?"
The secretary cringes and says, "No, he's at work in his office."
Dithers can't believe it. "But& but& I fired him!"
The secretary responds, "That's true, Mr. Dithers, but Dagwood forgave you."
[Blondie by Chic Young, May 12, 1993.]
CONNECTION: Forgiveness is the cutting edge of the Gospel. Jesus calls us to be ready to take that first, difficult step in reconciling with another - regardless of whether such forgiveness is deserved or warranted, regardless of whether such forgiveness will be accepted or spurned. Jesus' whole life is a lesson in how the sincere seeking of forgiveness and the act of forgiving and forgetting can transform broken relationships into communities of love and trust, can move families and friends beyond crippling dysfunction to growth and hope. As God is never satisfied with division and estrangement, neither should we be satisfied; as God constantly searches out the lost, so should we seek them out; as God always welcomes back the prodigal, so we should welcome them back, as well. ¦
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