|
Friends United Meeting |
 |
November 2003
Commitments
By Retha McCutchen, FUM General Secretary
God is forgiveness. As "far as east is from west" (Psalm 103:12) suggests forgiveness is complete. God remembers sin no more. Gone! Human beings do not have the power to forget. We do have the power to forgive. Remembrance and carrying a grudge are miles apart.
Lack of forgiveness eats at the soul. It doesn't hurt the target, who may or may not even know he/she committed an offense. Refusal to forgive is a burden an honest Christian must refuse to carry. It creates bitterness, resentment, jealousy — that affects all aspects of ones life.
Forgiveness in the spiritual realm does not depend on another's remorse. We are not instructed in scripture to make the offense or the forgiveness public. It is a private matter unless we are asked for forgiveness. Having experienced God's love, compassion and unconditional forgiveness, why do Christians often harbor such jealousy and resentment? This aspect of life is a killer of relationship and community.
Recently, I've listened to too much Christian judgment. Those who express faith differently are labeled "not Christian." Yearly Meetings holding affiliation in both Friends United Meeting and Friends General Conference are deemed unworthy of friendship because they have members who would identify themselves as "liberal" — all without taking the time or courtesy to meet and know these Friends.
Where is Jesus in this attitude? If Jesus was this opinionated, Zacchaeus would have been a waste of time. Thomas, with legitimate doubts, would have been written off as liberal and ignored. Jesus accepts even small seeds of belief. Can Christians afford to do less?
Jesus, in referring to the identity of Christians said "by their fruits you will know them." (Matthew 7:16) "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (Galatians 6:22-23) Jesus never expected, nor instructed us to judge another's faith by their ability to articulate their faith using certain words or phrases. It's an eternally risky act to judge another person's or groups' relationship with God and God's son, Jesus, because they don't package it like I do. "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." (John 15:2)
My struggle is feeling judgmental against the judgmental. The fruit of the Spirit seems absent in this attitude. Such absence ought to scare those so worried about contamination. Another's weak or even lack of faith has no real affect on me, yet judgment and lack of forgiveness within rots from the inside out and is in direct conflict with the love of God.
FUM is a Christian Quaker organization. The purpose statement is clear: "Friends United Meeting commits itself to energize and equip Friends through the power of the Holy Spirit to gather people into fellowships where Jesus Christ is known, loved and obeyed as Teacher and Lord." Living out that faith statement must have the freedom only given through the Holy Spirit. As we respect and support each other on our journey, we will change and grow spiritually and Friends United Meeting will be strengthened.
Copyright (c) 2003 Friends United Meeting
Return to November 2003 Contents page