This essay was written for a Christian audience, and develops a Christian focus. If you're from another tradition or position, I hope you will find it explores Christian faith in an interesting way. The bulk of the essay was originally given in 1994 as a lecture to Groupnet , the ecumenical churches Adult Education network in Scotland. Forgiveness is the most important part of Christ's ministry, today as well as during his public human life. Yet it is probably the aspect of Christian life which is most taken for granted.
People tend to judge one another, and themselves, by what they have done in the past.
At the human level, my sense of who I am is coloured by, and dominated by, what I have done in the past and what other people have done to me. My understanding would be, however, that the element of substitution in Christian forgiveness makes it 'stronger' or more radical than other forms. If we try to forget, all we tend to do is bury the past, or live in denial and bury our heads in the sand. This forgiveness is not the human activity of compromise and negotiation, or a decision to work together from now on, rather than fight. If people do not know God, co-operation is a worthy desire in itself, but it should not be confused with the more radical forgiveness God gives.