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A church leader in
Zimbabwe drove me across the suburbs of Bulawayo, about two
miles from the city center. he said, "Until 1980, we were not
allowed closer to the city than this road. Only white people
could cross."
I said, "How do
you feel about that now?"
"There's no point in
holding grudges," he replied. "We have to get on with life now."
This man who had been
oppressed was teaching me about forgiveness. My heart ached for the
hurt of his people, but he did not ache. He had too much to do in
life today to harbor the grudges of the past.
What this man
embodies is the way that Jesus taught. It is also what Jesus
practiced while dying on the cross: "Father, forgive them; for they
do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34)
R.W.
Lawton (Northern Territory, Australia)
excerpt taken from
The Upper Room Jan-Feb 2004
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