FORGIVENESS, A SIGN OF RESURRECTION
 

A few weeks ago someone tackled me over what they saw as the hypocrisy of christians, people who are seen to be practising their faith, but to all intent and purposes are just like everyone else. It is hard to respond to such generalised accusations. I use the word ‘respond’ rather than ‘answer’, because an answer implies a form of certainty which is also unacceptable to the accuser. Christians, literally “other Christs”, are probably more aware than most people of their own failings and sinfulness, precisely because they know – deep in their hearts – that Christ came in order to forgive sin, their own sin included. Christians are people who know that whatever their failings and faults, they are forgiven in Christ and are therefore empowered by Christ’s forgiveness to do better next time. Therein is found the origins of Christian joy.

There is no sinful condition or situation of life that condemns us to moral impotence. I once knew a man who had killed someone in a drunken brawl; his victim was also drunk. He was deeply sorry for what he had done and after being released from prison spent the remainder of his life faithfully serving the community in which he lived. Out of evil came good. But his victim’s family to this day live with a sense of bitterness and resentment; their subtle form of self inflicted ‘evil’ continues.

Forgiveness is incomprehensible because it is not logical. Logic is human and hard. It stands on the ethic of reprisal and retaliation. It is the classic human solution to the pain of hurt, “an eye for an eye”. So Jesus is speaking an utterly new language and cancelling a universal code when he says: “Do good to those who hate you.” Our world does not understand forgiveness which is from God and of God. In the parable of the Prodigal Son, both sons have sinned. The prodigal has wandered away and lived an immoral life but the older son is full of resentment. The prodigal returns and expresses his sorrow, but the older son continues in his sin and refuses to join the party. He stands for morality, he wants the prodigal punished. His father listens but does not apologise for his conduct because he insists ‘forgiveness’ is the only agent of real restoration. Justice often calls for punishment even death. Forgiveness calls for acceptance and new life.

To be a Christian is to be aware that forgiveness is the total restoration of a person beaten and broken by the weight of sin. A psychotherapist once said to me that he wished he could exercise the healing power of the confessional at the end of some of his sessions. Forgiveness can provide a total cure, physical as well as psychological. It can deal with depression by restoring the self-esteem of those whose failure has led to the hell of self-loathing. It gives us back our future.

Jesus spent his ministry revealing the forgiving God. “You get what you deserve” is the secular gospel. Jesus has essentially one sermon and his words are straightforward: “Your sins are forgiven; your faith has made you whole”. It is important to note that the opposite of sin is not moral excellence.

It is faith. The conscious virtue of the older son in the parable led him away from his father and persuaded him to believe that he deserved better because of what he had done by his own efforts. There were many in Christ’s audience who felt no need of forgiveness. They were hard people, yet seemingly holy. But true holiness emanates from real humanity and real humanity always echoes something of the God who made us.

We are in the Easter season which celebrates the Resurrection of Christ. The forgiveness of Christ for ourselves and each other is one of the signs pointing to resurrection, that total perfection and completion of the human person, body and soul, in the Kingdom of God.

On Saturday 14th May there will be an Exhibition in the Village Hall where everyone is most welcome to come along and see the progress being made with Bramham’s very own Parish Plan. The Exhibition will be open to the public from 11.00 to 16.00.

As well as showing progress with the overall Plan, the Exhibition will focus on the individual Working Groups that are currently busy developing their ideas in a number of key areas. Most importantly, the Exhibition is a vital part of the on-going consultation process and we hope, therefore, that as many people as possible will attend as it provides a last opportunity to comment on the work being done and to influence the many different aspects of life in Bramham.

To enable us to mount a successful exhibition we need a number of display boards to put our ideas and proposals on view. We are therefore looking to borrow sufficient boards to help us show what has happened so far, what remains to be done and, most importantly, our ideas and plans for the future. Thank You.

If you can help please contact

Iain Kimberley on 01937 844081 or at iain.kimberley@btinternet.com

The group will continue to meet every Monday at the Methodist Church on Low Way between 10.00 am and 12.00 noon.

Anyone who is caring for a baby or toddler is welcome to come along with them to the session. We have a great selection of toys for the children to play with, in a safe and friendly environment.

If you require any further information, please contact

Bramham Youth Club’s

More information will be given in this Magazine nearer the time

Following our appeal in last month’s magazine, we have been delighted with the response we have received for help and sponsorships. However we still need more.

On Monday 11th April John Butterill who heads Barwick-in-Elmet in Bloom and John Tinkler Head of Leeds Parks Department are meeting us in the Old Peoples Shelter at 7.00 pm to give us some idea on what we are letting ourselves in for! Hopefully, they will advise us on how to start our plan and help us decide which areas of the village we should concentrate on first etc. All people who have expressed interest in helping are invited to this meeting.

If you have been considering joining the team, please come to this meeting or contact or ring either of the following:-

Ernest or Meryl Nicholls 841195
Juliet Binns 841383
Elizabeth Hill 841000
Gillian Young 843129
Martin Batt 842220

Our Speaker in February was Mr Bob Preedy of the Wetherby Film Theatre, who gave a most interesting talk on his involvement with the cinema industry, then held an informal discussion with members on the merits of films he has shown recently, such as “Calendar Girls” and “Ladies in Lavender”; and films we would like to see.

The next meeting, 20th April will be an Open Evening and will be an illustrated Gardening Talk by the renowned Kate Garton. She designs and plants gardens from small courtyards to over ten acres and is consultant to several large estates including Hatfield House and Hodsock Priory the famous snowdrop garden.

The title of her talk is:-

Colour all year round in the Garden.

Tickets £2 including refreshments are available from Anne Topping 844529 and Jean Dale 842533 or feel free to just pay at the door. All visitors, especially Gardeners very welcome.
 

We are open on a Friday night

7 pm to 9 pm

We have Volley Ball, Basket Ball, Table Tennis, Snooker/Pool, Badminton,

Football, Air Hockey, Play stations

and X Boxes.

If you are over 12 years of age,

come along and join in the fun

Entrance Fee: £1
For further information contact

5th April at 8 pm.