The Mystery of Forgiveness
I believe with all my heart that the mystery of forgiveness is the entire Gospel. When you get forgiveness, you get it. We use the phrase “falling in love.” I think forgiveness is almost the same thing. It’s a mystery we fall into—the mystery is God.
God forgives all things for being imperfect, broken, and poor. Not only Jesus but all the great people who pray that I have met in my life say the same thing. That’s the conclusion they come to. The people who know God well, the mystics, the hermits, those who risk everything to find God, always meet a lover, not a dictator. God is never found to be an abusive father or a tyrannical mother, but always a lover who is more than we dared hope for.
How different than the “account manager” that most people seem to worship.
—Richard Rohr,
Everything Belongs
The mystery is this: When we come to God seeking forgiveness, we might expect to find a stern judge or an angry account manager, tallying up our failures and reminding us of the debt we owe. But Scripture paints a very different picture. In the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus shows us the heart of the Father—not one of cold calculation, but of compassionate embrace. The son returns, rehearsing his apology, prepared to work off his guilt. But the father runs to him, interrupts his speech, and clothes him in grace. God is not interested in settling accounts; He’s interested in restoring relationship. This is the wonder of grace: when we turn to God, we don’t find a closed door or a cold shoulder. We find celebration. Our return doesn’t evoke resentment—it brings rejoicing. The Father throws a feast, not because we earned our way back, but because love compelled Him to welcome us home. Here’s the Good News: No matter how far you’ve wandered, the arms of your Father are always open, ready to receive you not as servants trying to repay a debt, but as sons and daughters fully embraced and fully forgiven. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics