A sower went out to sow....

Dondon and Dindin lived in a small kampung. They were enemies since their Elementary School days. Throughout the years the two neighbors had one bitter fight after the other. Even their children did not play or even talk to each other. When Dindin fell seriously ill, his wife called the priest and asked him, “Father, Dindin has been fighting with Dondon for years. Can you help them reconcile before he dies?” It took the priest a lot of efforts until Dindin was ready to call Dondon for a reconciliation. Dondon begged, “Let’s make up, Din. Let’s forgive each other.” Finally Dindin agreed reluctantly. When Dondon was about to leave the house he heard Dindin calling him. With little strength he still had left, he shook his fist at Dondon and shouted, “Remember one thing Don, this counts only in case I die.”

We all want to be forgiven, but most of us have difficulties to forgive. Often these are small things which we cannot forgive, but because of the long time we carried them in our hearts they become bigger and bigger and forgiveness does not come easily anymore. We might also finally forgive, but conditionally or limit our forgiveness the way Peter tried to do it.

What can help us here is a glimpse at the Cross where Jesus suffered and died for our sins, forgiving all humankind unconditionally. Good Friday and Easter draw nearer and nearer. Surely we all will line up during Holy Week for confession to ask God for forgiveness. We sinners have offended the all-holy-God, our Creator and Savior! And God will forgive – without counting the times he has forgiven us already in the past, unconditionally, totally. But how can we ask God for this act of love when we have not forgiven our fellow men? What is this we cannot forgive, this hurt a sinner did to me a sinner, compared with what I have done by hurting God? The test of how worthily we accept God’s forgiveness is our willingness to forgive others.