Wednesday, March 08, 2006
When Liberal Theology Goes Oh So Wrong
This story absolutely broke my heart.
I don't believe in that equation. If Rev. Nicholson indeed hates the bombers, then I agree with her decison, but if the issue is forgivness, then I think she should stay the course.
By the way, the headline of the story discusses forgiveness, not hatred.
I once knew a partor whos brother-in-law had been murdered. This pastor had interactions with the murderer and struggled with precisely the struggle this woman had. His choice was to stay the course making precisely the distinction I have made here. I have argued before that forgiveness is transactional, not unilateral.
Long ago, in a place far away, I wrote about this equation of love and forgivness. It's a long piece that says most of what I want to say here, but there is one part I want to quote
I think she struggles with the fact that she merely wants to see them brought to justice and punished - a perfectly valid and Christian impulse. As it is a loving act for a parent to punish a child, so her impulse for the bombers to receive justice is a loving act.
My pastor friend that had his struggle is, I think, a genuine asset to the church in general - I think this woman, less infected with psuedo-Christiam-psycho-babble, could be likewise. I will pray for her. I hope you will join me.
Related Tags: forgiveness, love, church, faith, justice, Christianity
A British vicar whose daughter was killed in last year?s London suicide bombings has stepped down from her parish role, saying she cannot and does not want to forgive the killers.The article does not quote the woman sufficiently to know what the woman thinks and what is the press interpreting what she says, and I think it is important. The way the story is writing there is an equation of love and forgivness. That is to say, if Rev. Nicholson loved the bombers she would forgive them, but since she has feelings of hatred she does not forgive them.
The Rev. Julie Nicholson said she had taken the difficult decision after her 24-year-old daughter Jenny died in the July 7 bombing on the underground transport network.
She said she could not reconcile her faith with the feelings of hatred she has towards the killers.
I don't believe in that equation. If Rev. Nicholson indeed hates the bombers, then I agree with her decison, but if the issue is forgivness, then I think she should stay the course.
By the way, the headline of the story discusses forgiveness, not hatred.
I once knew a partor whos brother-in-law had been murdered. This pastor had interactions with the murderer and struggled with precisely the struggle this woman had. His choice was to stay the course making precisely the distinction I have made here. I have argued before that forgiveness is transactional, not unilateral.
Long ago, in a place far away, I wrote about this equation of love and forgivness. It's a long piece that says most of what I want to say here, but there is one part I want to quote
Look at it this way, if I give you a gift and you refuse it, gift giving has not been accomplished. Gift buying has been accomplished. Gift-wrapping has been accomplished. But gift giving has not been accomplished. Now, if I love you, I will keep that gift in its nice wrapped box on the shelf and it will be yours for the asking. But there are some things you can bet on. I am not going to buy you anymore gifts until you take the original one. You and I are not going to share the fruits of that gift. Chances are you and I will not be friends. We may be acquaintances or colleagues, but not friends. If at some point you accept that gift, then whole new worlds are opened up to us.God does indeed call us to love our enemies, and if Rev Nicholson has only hatred in her heart for the bombers, then, perhaps she has indeed, as it says later in the article, "lost her faith." But somehow, I doubt that.
I think she struggles with the fact that she merely wants to see them brought to justice and punished - a perfectly valid and Christian impulse. As it is a loving act for a parent to punish a child, so her impulse for the bombers to receive justice is a loving act.
My pastor friend that had his struggle is, I think, a genuine asset to the church in general - I think this woman, less infected with psuedo-Christiam-psycho-babble, could be likewise. I will pray for her. I hope you will join me.
Related Tags: forgiveness, love, church, faith, justice, Christianity
