Advent day 13: Forgiving the absence of apology

Late last night I read this word from ‘Franciscan Flowers’. I immediately started thinking about how relevant it was to advent.

Let go and forgive
the many roads past.

let go and forgive
those who wounded and scarred you.

let go and forgive
the negativity that often blinds you.

let go and forgive
yourself, often fragile and tense.

let go and forgive
the lack of acceptance of yourself.

let go and forgive
the many troubled waters of your life.

let go and forgive
your struggle with inner anger and depression

let go and forgive
your fears and often restless spirit

let go and forgive
your holding on to hurt,
yours and others high expectations.

let go and forgive
the circumstances, that keep coming back to blind your thinking.

let go and forgive
so my forgiving heart can be yours.

let go and forgive
as you have beautifully begun.

let go and keep forgiving
my new life is my gift to you.

let go and deep forgiving’
i love your vulnerability and honesty.

let go and deep forgiving
it’s the way to my happiness and peace.

– Sister La Donna Pinkelman OSF   Sylvania, Ohio

I have wrestled with the art of forgiving, being forgiven and seeking forgiveness.

When you are hurting, have been deeply hurt, and have hurt others because of it. Who doesn’t battle with the angst of absent apologies?

Admitting where, we as broken individuals went wrong, no matter how small, is an offering of grace. Apology and forgiveness do not empower the aggressor. Instead forgiveness disarms them, and motivates us towards right response in light of God’s acts for us. This does not imply that we ”let go and let God” because forgiveness is an offering that places us in participation with the divine, an alignment with God’s grace, not because we are gods, but because ‘God does not will to be God without us’ (Karl Barth).

These themes: repentance, anticipation, invitation, responsible reconciliation and hope.

All are about life, breath, relationship, and response.

Movement.

Advent.