129 Christian Atheist: I Believe in God But Can't Forgive

We all know that Christians are supposed to forgive.  Jesus said as much when He taught His disciples to pray, “Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Mt. 6:12)

What’s intriguing and, in no little way, disturbing, is how out of this entire prayer, Jesus only adds a commentary on the issue of forgiveness. He makes the point that to bask in your own forgiveness while withholding forgiveness from another is at the least inconsistent and at worst it’s very costly. In the parlance of this series, to not forgive someone who has sinned against you is to be a Christian Atheist.

Now, it’s one thing to forgive the low-level “dings” that come our way, but what do you do with the major hurts and offenses?

It’s here that Christian Atheism is often seen.  Sure, we should forgive most of the time, maybe even almost all of the time.  But forgive that?!?!?  I can’t…and I won’t.

This morning, we have a special guest who came face to face with this challenge. 

Cyprien Nkiriyumwami was the Africa Director for Integral Mission and Peacebuilding at World Relief. In 1994 he and his wife, along with their 2 children were living in Rwanda when over a period of 100 days, nearly 1 million men, women, and children were slaughtered in the attempted genocide of the Tutsis by the Hutus.  

In this interview, Cyprien, a Hutu himself, tells the story of how he and his wife hid their Tutsi neighbors from the death squads that were going house to house, risking their own lives in the process. Eventually, they fled for their lives and lived as refugees in neighboring Congo for 2 years.

He also tells of the challenges they faced when they returned to their home in Rwanda, and how he confronted the reality that to be a follower of Jesus would require him to confess his anger and bitterness and forgive those that had sought to kill him and his family.

No doubt, forgiveness is hard! In many ways, it is an unnatural act.  Everything within us demands justice if not vengeance when we get hurt.  

But while forgiveness may not be the natural response, it’s the healthiest one – spiritually, mentally, and physically. You don’t forgive because the person deserves it.  Ultimately you forgive because it’s the smartest thing to do. 

Mark it well: Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.

Text: Mt. 6:9-15; Eph. 4:31-32; Col. 3:12-13; Heb. 12:15

Originally recorded on March 10, 2013, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.