Tag Archives: Forgiveness

January 24, 2014 · 4:49 am

IT’S FRIDAY. BUT SUNDAY’S COMING! Come Home. All is Forgiven.

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Earnest Hemingway, in The Capital of the World, tells a popular Spanish story about a father and his son named “Paco.”

Paco was rebellious.  Disobedient. Defiant.  And irresponsible.  Unwilling to follow his father’s rules, he preferred his own way of living.  One evening in the heat of an argument, Paco hurled some hurtful and hateful words at his father.  Packed up his few possessions.  Stomped out the door, slamming it behind him.  And traveled to Madrid.  Hoping to never see his father again.  Continue reading →

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February 20, 2013 · 7:58 am

How Often Should I Forgive Others?

Forgiveness3Did you hear about the  man who was sitting in a coffee shop, across from a woman who was engrossed in her newspaper. One of the headlines blared: “12 Brazilian Soldiers Killed.” She sighed and shook her head at the sad news.

Then, turning to the man, she quizzically asked, “How many is a  Brazilian?”    Continue reading →

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November 20, 2012 · 6:23 am

The Redeeming Virtue of Forgiveness

“How many of you have lost a brother or sister as a result of violence?”  asked Azim Khamisa the students at San Diego’s CorreiaMiddle School. About a third of the several hundred gathered in the school auditorium raise their hands.

“And how many of you would want revenge if a brother or sister was killed”? Khamisa probed.  Almost every hand shot up.    Then he asked, “Would revenge bring (my son) back? Continue reading →

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February 17, 2012 · 1:22 am

What it Means to Say “I’m Sorry”

Wendy Donahue, a staff writer for the Chicago Tribune, recently penned an article entitled “Give and take: The sport of apologizing.”  Our local Tampa Bay Times (TBT) picked it up.  While reading it, I was reminded of how difficult it is to simply say from the heart “I’m sorry.” It’s reminiscent of the 1976 hit by Elton John, when he crooned the mournful ballad “Sorry seems to be the hardest word.”

Continue reading →

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February 13, 2012 · 5:00 am

Guilt Free Living

Robert Jeffress wrote in his fine book “Choose your Attitudes, Change your Life” “Guilt is one of the most debilitating of human emotions. It wreaks destruction in our relationships and our spiritual lives.  It is also a major cause of depression”

Jeffress is right.  Guilt accuses. Guilt condemns. Guilt convicts. Guilt is mentally draining.  Physically demanding.  And spiritually disastrous. Continue reading →

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January 11, 2012 · 2:39 am

The Freedom of Forgiveness

It happened in a little church, in a little town. I was there; I saw it; I heard it. Toward the conclusion of the service, a trembling woman came forward and sat on the front pew, asking forgiveness. She had been an absentee for several years. The woman who sat directly behind her, shocked, grew pale and nervous. Several in the audience seemed bewildered and wondered if trouble would start all over again; for there had been trouble, lots of it, tragic and heartbreaking– two murders, court trials with opposing families, and one death in the electric chair. Continue reading →

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