 How Many Times?
Sam used to pray, "God forgive me if I have sinned today," but then stopped praying that prayer because he thought God was tired of hearing him daily ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness has been the topic in several of his conversations with Paul recently. Once he asked how often we are to forgive others and admitted that he believes there is a limit to forgiveness. He told Paul he had heard that God told a man He would forgive him one hundred times but kill him on the 101st time. In response, Paul was able to share Jesus' answer to a similar question. Sam was surprised at Jesus' answer, but this gave Paul the opportunity to explain the forgiveness we have through Jesus Christ.
These conversations have occurred over several weeks at the community centre where Paul goes once or twice a week to meet Gujarati men. When he sees Sam filling in for the regular office manager at the centre, Paul grabs the opportunity to have a chat with him. Paul has learned that Sam came from India ten years ago to marry a British Gujarati Hindu woman but they do not have any children.
The reality of God's forgiveness through Christ was powerfully shared also, by our friend Lata at our team's Good Friday satsang (praise gathering) in March. She is a Gujarati Hindu background believer (HBB) we had met in San Jose through mutual supporter friends a few years ago. She had expressed an interest in visiting us in Leicester. Alice told her about the open air passion play called Christ in the Centre which takes place annually in the Leicester Town Centre on Good Friday. It was brilliant that she personally witnessed this play this year with Alice.
In our interview with her at the satsang that night, Lata openly related in Gujarati and English about her struggles growing up in her Hindu family, her arranged marriage, and then later her divorce. After she came to Christ, God gave her the power to forgive her ex-husband and her father for her past hurts. She was able to put everything behind her and moved on in her life. Because some of the women attending our team's satsangs are divorced or in difficult marriages, what she said struck a nerve with them. She spoke their language and had walked in their shoes. She understood. We pray that her message of Christ's forgiveness will continue to speak to their hearts.
Spring, 2008 |
