Do You Know Where You're Going To?

Do we realise what is happening when we sin and refuse or neglect to seek forgiveness through the Sacrament of reconciliation? Consider this... when we sin, it seems as if we are forming a chain of filth and venom around us. As we go along in life, the chain would increase in size, weight and length: a result of as we sin, as we neglect to do what we are supposed to do, as we show indifference towards others, as we fail to do what is right, as we allow laziness and "don't care" or "tidak apa" attitude to fester, and much more.

Soon, the chain begins to suffocate us, wrap our soul with "God-repellent" properties, make us numb towards fear of God, causes us to be drunk in our senses which then makes us unable to differentiate what is right and wrong. Then we may find ourselves imprisoned in sin, seemingly difficult to free ourselves as we may be too ashamed or obstinate or not bothered to seek forgiveness through the Sacrament of reconciliation.

Of course, such a chain can be broken. We can free ourselves from its snares. All it takes is to be humble and promptly, regularly and willingly seek forgiveness through the Sacrament of reconciliation. Just as we find it repugnant to take a bath only once a week, we should be finding it equally repugnant to allow our souls to remain stained in sin for too long.

So ultimately, the ball is in our court. God is merciful, compassionate and patient. He is beckoning us and offering us many chances to return to right relationship with Him and with others. We choose to grow closer to God, or to alienate ourselves from Him. May we not, when the end comes, find ourselves in an unfortunate and terrible situation, where "There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out."

Forgive Us Our Trespasses

Over the years, I have observed how some children play and interact. I noticed that, in quite a number of cases, such children seem to find it so much easier to forgive and move on. For example, I recall some children playing a game. All of a sudden, a quarrel happens and some children walk off in a huff saying, "Hummph! Don't want to friend you!" The funny thing is, after a short while, these children come back together again to play, as if the quarrel or incident that had just happened, had not occurred in the first place, or that it was nothing or not a big deal. Instead of allowing such an incident to boil over, such children were willing to bury the hatchet, so to speak, and move on.

What happens when adults get into a quarrel or even a fight? Are adults able to forgive and move on just like how children do? Quite likely I observe adults finding it tough or even impossible to forgive and move on. Why is this so? It is precisely because some of us have developed a big ego or swelled-up pride as we grew, and together with prejudice and possibly a "kiasu" or "don't want to lose" attitude, we refuse to apologise when we are in the wrong, or refuse to forgive when others have wronged us. Some of us also may have developed low self-esteem, and think that we are the victim and others are the oppressors, causing some to be unable to forgive.

But what did Jesus teach us about forgiveness? Jesus simply taught us that forgiveness is a two-way street. In the Lord's Prayer, we are reminded: "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." Jesus even warned us, "Make every effort to reconcile with your adversary while you are on your way to the magistrate. Otherwise, he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and the officer may throw you into prison. I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny." (Luke 12:58-59). Also, we are reminded: "Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!" (Matthew 18:21-22). What this means is that we must learn to forgive others, just as we petition God to forgive us. We cannot expect to only receive forgiveness from God or from others, if we ourselves are stubbornly refusing to forgive.

Of course, it is not easy to forgive, especially when the other has hurt us so bad. But if we recall clearly, Jesus, even on the cross, chose to say, "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do." Some of us may argue: "But Jesus is God, and surely that makes it easy for Him to forgive!" But we must remember that Jesus is also a man, and even in human limitations and weakness, He chose to show us an example by forgiving, instead of remaining hostile, holding grudges, or even keeping the bitterness inside. Jesus shows us that, like children, the issue at hand is actually not a big deal after all. It is we who make what seems to be a molehill, into mountains.

So the question is... are we willing to set aside our pride, prejudice and ego, and learn to forgive? Or have we become so entrenched with anger, insecurity, hatred and fear, that we become so easily hurt and unforgiving? Why do we allow ourselves to be snared or eaten up by unforgiveness, when God is offering us peace, happiness and freedom when we forgive?

Let There Be Peace on Earth

How often do we get news about peace these days? More often than not, we get news through different media containing matters about conflicts, wars, murders, rape, torture, violence, terrorism and other similar negative news. Seeing how such news is being rampantly distributed, how can we as Christians make a difference? Can I make a difference, even if it seems to be a small and insignificant part, in efforts to bring about true peace?

To us, it may seem impossible. We may feel as if we are too few, too small or too weak to make a difference. But to God, everything is possible. We must believe that we can make a difference, and that we must start somewhere. It may be a small step, but it is still a step, and if we believe that we can make a difference, then there is hope.

To make a difference, to bring about peace, we need to look at two foundational and crucial aspects that help in the peace process. The two are love and forgiveness. True peace must be rooted with genuine, unconditional love for all, because it is only in love that we can reach out to others who are so different from us and accept them for who they are. Love breaks down the barriers of race and language that are put up by our prejudices. With love, true peace can be present even in the midst of our troubles and problems. True peace must also be rooted in forgiveness. Some people think that forgiving others is a sign of weakness. Some people think that to be strong, one needs to take revenge or put another person down. But true peace requires that we show our strength by taking courage to forgive others. Forgiveness is also about a healing of your hurts as well as a healing for those who have hurt you. Forgiveness sets us free and allows us to be at peace with ourselves and with others.

Today, let us be peacemakers in whatever way we can. Let us do our part in bringing about peace, regardless of how small or insignificant the part may seem. With a little effort, decision and commitment, we can and will make this world a better and more peaceful place to live in.