Relationship

Numbers 5:5-10New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Israelites: When a man or a woman wrongs another, breaking faith with the Lord, that person incurs guilt and shall confess the sin that has been committed. The person shall make full restitution for the wrong, adding one-fifth to it, and giving it to the one who was wronged. If the injured party has no next of kin to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for wrong shall go to the Lord for the priest, in addition to the ram of atonement with which atonement is made for the guilty party. Among all the sacred donations of the Israelites, every gift that they bring to the priest shall be his. The sacred donations of all are their own; whatever anyone gives to the priest shall be his.

For a long time, I avoided reading Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.  All those endless rules and laws that just seemed to have nothing to do with me.

Equally I would get frustrated at people who insist on reading and following the Bible literally without being able to tell me HOW to read and follow these specific passages literally.

However, when you get past the rams and the priests and the sacrifices and talk of guilt and atonement, you reach a conclusion that comes across throughout the pages of scripture, both in the Old and New Testament.

God cares about relationship and calls us to forgive.

God cares about relationship and calls us to seek forgiveness.

As Desmond Tutu says: forgiveness is how we bring about peace in our lives and in the world.

For some, forgiveness make take time.  There may be a process that you need to go through to forgive.

And for some the healing of the relationship may mean removing yourself from the relationship rather than reconciling.

For some, there will still be sacrifices that need to be made for restitution.  Maybe it won't be a ram.  Maybe it won't be a burnt offering.  Maybe it will be our pride.  Or a letter of apology, or even a simple "I'm sorry."

But any way you slice it, forgiveness is God's way.

Forgiveness is the way of relationship.

And God is a god of relationship.

Gracious God, forgive me my debts as I forgive my debtors and help me to always seek to follow your way of relationship.  Amen

Note:  I'll be away for a long weekend starting later today.  Be back to blogging on Wednesday.