We are not to cling to others’ sins. Moreover, we are not to be obsessed by (or with) ANYTHING. And this is good news, indeed!

Last week we considered verses from John 20 and Jeremiah 31. Jeremiah 31:34 quotes God as saying, “and their sin I will remember no more.” In this week’s discussion, we noted that “forgive and forget” is not a truly biblical concept. Some would say that God “forgets,” but we are NOT commanded to do so. As an alternative, I would distinguish between “not remembering” and “forgetting.” I believe we are to imitate God (we are to be like God) in “not remembering” the sins of others. We are commanded to “remember” Christ as we worship and as we share communion. This “remembering” is a “making present again.” By contrast, we are not to “make present again” others’ sins, because “making present again” others’ sins gives others and their sins power over us. And our God would have us be free of such oppression/obsession.

We recalled that forgiveness (even God’s forgiveness) does not always remove the consequences of sin. Oftentimes, sin’s “fallout” remains, affecting both the sinner and the sinned against. And Jesus reminds us (Matthew 10:16) that we are to be “shrewd as serpents and gentle as doves.” God does NOT command us to be naïve or stupid in our forgiveness of others.

We also recalled that Jesus’ relinquishing of earthly life is described as “releasing.” We noted that Jesus would have been much relieved to “release” earthly life in favor of the next chapter of the salvation story! Scripture uses similar language in describing our forgiveness of others. Forgiving is not condoning, and it is not a tacit permission to others to harm us again. Rather, it is a “releasing” of self from the “remembering” of others’ actions. It brings relief.

And perhaps this relief is what allows us to begin to love one another as Christ has loved us. Perhaps the attitude of forgiveness - and the freedom it brings - is so rare that others would take notice. Perhaps others would recognize us as Christ’s disciples because of the particular, AMAZING way we love one another.