Forgiveness

Today we had an assembly at our school where a student sought forgiveness for setting fire to our school. At the end of last year a student got the bright idea to burn down the school. The Lord had mercy and not only did the school not burn down, but the walls of pride, selfishness, and rebellion within this kid's heart did.

The ugliness of sin is especially shocking at times, but when it is properly dealt with, the beauty of the attendent forgiveness is flabergasting. Watching a sophmore in high school confess his sin before ~300 people, and not fumblingly, but naming each aspect of the sin and its consequence - wiping out the seniors graduation, ruining his brother's ability to continue at the school he loved, shaking up the lives of 255 kids and their families, and injuring a firefighter because he was blind selfish, rebellious, etc. - and doing is all with humility and strength was a blessing to see. The response was flooring.

After he was done confessing, two students, a teacher, and a representative from the church all granted - with love - their most tender forgiveness saying not only that he needs to know that we forgive him and pray for him, but that we Love him.

Now that is beauty! And that is a microcosm of what the Lord's love and forgiveness is towards us. Praise God from whom all blessing flow!