Obama apology: In sync with the spirit of Lent



(Painting by Rembrandt)

Those who are slamming President Obama for sending a letter of apology to Afghan President Karzai regarding the “burning of Korans at a US military base in Afghanistan” might wish to reread the very same Bible that they often refer to in glowing terms.

While thumbing through the Christian Gospel sections (which

these selfsame critics often proclaim must be defended at all

costs), they might also wish to underline the following passages:

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.  (Matthew 6:14-15)

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?  Up to seven times?  Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.  (Matthew 18:21-22)

Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  (Matthew 7:3)

The “logs” that are in America’s (and any country’s) eyes are many.  If they are not owned up to (the beginning of all true apology) and repented for, then they will just keep occurring.  If both sides (and all sides) refuse to bend, then they will surely break.  How destructive the breaks will be depends upon how deep the issues are.  In this case, the religious tensions are quite deep.  In order to soften these breakable

rigidities, sincere apologies from all concerned would be a fine place to begin.

President Obama’s detractors could surely rattle off any number of severe offences that have been committed against America.  However, would they be nearly as willing to acknowledge some of the serious offences that America itself has been guilty of?  Against Afghanistan, there have been many.  Phil Stewart

of Reuters lists just a few that came before this latest one:  the previous Koran burnings in Florida; U. S. forces urinating on Taliban corpses; and the recent killing of eight young Afghans in a NATO-led air strike.

Forgiveness does not necessarily mean to ignore all danger.  However, lack of forgiveness is often the greatest danger of all.

Resources

http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-united-states-defuse-koran-burning-uproar-004007269.html

http://www.myfoxny.com/dpps/news/republicans-slam-obama's-apology-for-koran-burning-dpgonc-km-20120223_18195455

http://www.messageofjesus.co.uk/jesus/forgiveness.php

http://www.bible-guide-online.com/famous-bible-quotes-judge-not.html

Copyright February 24, 2012 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved