Sorry for the confusion

link Pat Cantwell

Religion columnist

Forgive me? Sorry for any confusion in my last article. I was attempting to make three points about forgiveness.

The first point was: Parents teach your children the Ten Commandments. Teach them what is right and wrong in God's eyes, not the world's. Teach them that God is love and forgives their sin. Only then, when they know what sin is, can they receive forgiveness and will they be able to give it to others.

Do not wait for the church to do this teaching or it may not happen. I am not saying this to offend but for all of us to wake up and realize how long it has been since we have heard the words sin, forgiveness and the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all our sin.

How do parents teach forgiveness? They live it. Would divorce be a thing of the past if mothers and fathers walked in forgiveness, if they forgave each other 70 times seven, because God first forgave them? What If parents spoke the words, “I am sorry,” to each other every day in front of the children?

Would children's fear and rebellion disappear, if instead of them carrying weapons and the burdens of guilt and anger, they knew to go to Jesus and say, “I am sorry,” and be forgiven?

My second point was an example of someone who forgives. In Israel, I had met Stephen Khoury, a Palestinian Christian pastor, living under horrendous conditions of persecution from his own Arab people. In spite of this, Khoury understands that forgiveness is the only answer that will bring peace in the Middle East. Khoury is like a prophet of old standing in the streets of Jerusalem, but he is crying out a new message that the Messiah Jesus, “the Son of God who takes away the sin of the world” has come.

My third point was to ask the question, “Has the knowledge of forgiveness disappeared?” Has psychology replaced it? Is this the cause of all turmoil around the world? It appears so.

But the Prince of Peace Jesus says no.

Let us be the people of Luke 11:4 who say, “Father forgive us our sins, for we forgive everyone who sins against us.”

The good news is the God of forgiveness is only a breath away.

Pat Cantwell writes about faith for the Portales News-Tribune. Contact her at:

[email protected]