Treating people like you've already forgiven them

Matthew 5:38-42

There is so much I could say about these verses. They're only, like, some of the most popular among peace-loving Christians. It occurs to me as I read this in the context of my life right now that peace among peoples is just one dimension of the words. In relation to the verses afterward, these verses are more interpersonal than international. I also am thinking about things to do in our last days, as the end approaches.

What comes out to me is the need for forgiveness and closure. Justice rules much of our thoughts in life: what's fair, what's even, what's balanced. We constantly work for a well-balanced life in who we love, how we spend our time, our work, our play, or time with God. If we give ourselves to one thing, we must make up for that time in other ways: "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth." This is justice, but as death approaches, justice doesn't seem that important anymore. I think we begin to realize that true, perfect justice is not a possibility for our time on earth. We think about grace and mercy and love in life, but its not until the end looms that we see those virtues in a new light (I am not dying, in case any of you was getting concerned).

To love and forgive; that is the nature of God's relationship with us and how we were meant to live. Jesus expands an "Eye for eye" mentality to a "go the extra mile" attitude. We don't go the extra mile because we are sticking it to the proverbial "man" or because we diminish our self-worth to that of slaves.

We do it out of love. Some people just need to see love in life, love in action, love in another random person. When we let go of striving for our own well-being and live only to see the good in our enemy, then we become Christ. When we extend the simplest kind of grace and stop playing the conflict game, we become Christ. When we forgive people in our hearts before they've even offended us, we become Christ. At the end of life, it is not justice we seek, it is peace: peace with others, with God, and especially with ourselves. The hardest thing, is to forgive ourselves; to let go of self-hatred or the need for punishment and justice, and just to surrender to the mercy that no guilt can corrupt.

Put things in perspective, choose to live forgiveness in the heart and in action. Choose also to help others see the need for a forgiven, forgiving grace. Such is Christ.