“…and forgive us our sins as we have forgiven those who sin against us.”

~Matthew 6:12
“Jesus, I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me/ Jesus, I’ll never forget how you set me free/ Jesus, I’ll never forget how you brought me out/ Jesus, I’ll never forget/ No, never.” This song declares that I will never forget the work of freedom that Jesus has wrought in my life as a believer. It is a personal testimony of indebtedness to Jesus Christ as the great Emancipator. Today, I wonder the type of freedom, the kind of deliverance that we experience through our relationship with Jesus Christ. What exactly have we been freed of, what have we been delivered from that would cause us to “never forget” it?

Does it include being freed from the trap of history, freed from the pain of the past, freed from unhealthy social arrangements and positions? What exactly does this freedom gained in Christ account for? Are we freed from some things and not others? Are there people and situations for which Christ has no key to unlock the chains that bind us? In other words, is there a limit on the scope and ability of the liberating power of Jesus Christ?

Many of us would answer, “No.” But, in matters of race, we can never forget what persons have done to us or our ancestors and in turn, are not willing to forgive. American slavery was a horrific experience both for the enslaved African and her/his enslaver. I know that persons may find the latter difficult to comprehend or impossible to believe; but, American slavery has not just hurt the descendants of African slaves. It has also afflicted the descendants of those who chose to enslave human beings. None of us can forget what we have done to each other for better or for worse. But, is forgetfulness a prerequisite for forgiveness? Must we be able to forget in order to forgive? No, we forgive as we have been forgiven. We remember that God forgave us.

All relationships, no matter the length of their commitment or purpose, require the ability to forgive and not only that– to not keep a record of wrongs because God does not keep score of our shortcomings. There can be no reconciliation a part from forgiveness. I’m not asking you to forget what was done to you but I am asking you to forgive as you have been forgiven, to remember that Christ has set you free. We all will remember what has been done to us but we must never forget what we have done as sinners. We all stand in need of forgiveness. Some do not need it more or less than others as there is no hierarchy of sin with God. And we must live into the reality that we have been delivered; we have been set free. If we never forget what Jesus has done for us then, we will be able to always forgive persons for the wrongs that have been committed against us. We must never forget and in turn, always forgive. This is The Daily Race.